Public health - drainage

Frequently Asked Questions

Information about drains and sewers and what to do if a blockage occurs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if it is my drain that is blocked?

If your drain is blocked you will usually know because your waste will stop going away when you flush the toilet, or gullies outside will overflow. There will also probably be a smell. Private drains/sewers are the responsibility of the owner-occupier and any other properties connected to it. We can arrange for clearance of a blocked drain.

Private drain/sewer blockage clearance service

We offer a fixed price chargeable service which can be requested by contacting 0121 704 6530 (Out of office hours 0121 704 8000).

There is no requirement for payment "on the doorstep", an invoice will be sent to you after the job has been completed.

The current charges are (effective 1 April 2006)

• For work to investigate/clear a blockage from a private sewer or drain: £92.00 + £16.10 VAT = £108.10
• If the blockage cannot be cleared a minimum call out charge will apply: £28.00 + £4.90 VAT = £32.90
• In addition to the above standard service an extra pressure jetting service is available, if requested: £56.00 + £9.80 Vat = £65.80 up to a maximum of one hour.

The person requesting the above services will be regarded as being the owner or acting on behalf of the owner(s) of the pipework and will be invoiced for the total cost of the work requested.

We will ask you to sign a form when we come out to your property prior to any work being carried out. The form also contains useful information regarding drains and sewers and the process we go through. If you wish to download the form and sign it ready for when our technicians arrive please find it attached below.

N.B. This form is not a booking form, please call 0121 704 6530 (Out of office hours 0121 704 8000) to book the drain/sewer blockage clearance service.

Drains - What you need to know

As a homeowner you may have a responsibility for the repair or maintenance of drainage pipe work even if the problem is in your neighbour's garden.

The information provided is intended to help clarify and explain the responsibilities but it cannot be taken as a definitive statement of the law surrounding this subject.

Who is responsible?

When talking about underground drainage pipes there are three main terms that need to be explained. These descriptions will try to help you determine who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of any pipe.

Drains

A drain is a pipe that carries the waste water (foul or surface water) from just one property. This drain is the sole responsibility of the owner(s) of that property for its full length up to the point where the pipe either connects to another pipe from another property, or another pipe connects to it. At this point the drain becomes a sewer. There are two types of sewer:

Public sewers

A public sewer is a pipe that is the responsibility of the Sewerage Undertaker for the area, in Solihull this is Severn Trent Water Authority . These pipes have been 'adopted' by Severn Trent since they were laid or they are pipes which connect two or more properties to the public drainage system and the pipes were in use for this purpose before 1st October 1937.

Most public sewers run below the roadway, not below people's gardens. If you are unsure where your drain connects to a public sewer then Severn Trent has records of the public sewers in this area. Copies of the public sewer record are available for inspection at Solihull Connect.

Private sewers

A private sewer is any pipe which is taking waste water from more than one property, but which is not a public sewer. This sewer is the joint responsibility of each of those properties that drain into it. This responsibility continues up to the point where the private sewer (including the connection) joins a public sewer. This often means that, people are responsible for the repair and maintenance of drainage pipes that are beneath land owned by somebody else, such as a neighbour or under the public highway.

Contact Details

To book the drain/sewer clearance service, please telephone 0121 704 6530