What are sewers, drains and lateral drains?
Sewers are pipes which carry waste from more than one property. Drains are pipes which carry waste from a single property to the sewer. These become lateral drains when they extend beyond the boundary of the property.
Who is responsible for the maintenance and repair of private sewers or lateral drains
On 1 October 2011, the responsibility for many private sewers and lateral drains which drain to a public sewer and extend beyond your property boundary transferred to water and sewerage companies.
What does this mean to me?
It means that you are no longer responsible for private sewers that you share with another property owner or the section of your property’s drain that is located outside the property boundary. However, you are still responsible for the drain serving the property and located within the property boundary.
Want to know more? You can find helpful information on the Defra, Consumer Council for Water and Water UK websites.
