Repairs to and blockages in drains and sewers
Advice to Householders
and business owner/occupiers that are connected to main drainage
(Council house tenants and those leaseholders who pay an annual service charge to the Council should ALWAYS contact Housing Repairs on 01322 343800)
The following is general advice, but as with most things there are exceptions to the rule, drainage is no different. If you have a blocked drain/sewer refer to the relevant section below.
Then if you are still unsure regarding ownership of a pipe take further advice, the Council’s drainage section can be contacted at drainage@dartford.gov.uk or telephone 01322 343255.
Public Sewers
Sewage is removed from your home via a network of pipes which may
be in public or private ownership.
The large sewers normally situated under public highways are usually
owned and maintained by the sewerage undertakers and are known as public
sewers. Public sewers may also exist on your property if the pipe
was built before 1 October 1937 and serves more than one property.
The sewerage undertaker for this area is either Thames (telephone 08459
200800) or Southern Water (telephone 0845 278 0845).
Any problems regarding repair, cleansing and maintenance involving
public sewers should be referred to your sewerage undertaker. Generally
if you receive a separate sewerage account from Thames or Southern,
then you should contact them, if you receive a combined water supply
and sewerage account you should contact Thames.
If a sewer does not satisfy these criteria, it is probably not in
public ownership and is therefore private.
Private Sewers
The pipes that were built after 1 October 1937 which connect groups
of houses to the network of public sewers are in private ownership.
When a pipe drains two or more properties in separate curtilages
it is a sewer. Any sewer which is not vested in the sewerage
undertaker is a private sewer.
All drains and private sewers are owned and maintained by the owners
of the properties which they serve, up to the connection to the public
sewer, even if they are situated in land which is outside the curtilage
of those properties.
Drains
Any pipe which drains a single property or a number of properties/buildings within the same curtilage is defined as a drain and is private regardless of when it was built.
The cost of relaying private sewers and drains
Householders are frequently confused by drainage law which is set
out in several enactments originating in the 19th century Public
Health Acts. The purpose of this page is to summarise the relevant
responsibilities of private householders.
On housing estates built after 1937 the whole network of drains and
sewers (not in the public highway) may be in private ownership which
would then be the joint responsibility of all the property owners
and/or occupiers served by them.
When major repairs are necessary and private sewers have to be re-laid
the cost is borne by the owners of the properties served by those sewers
in proportion to the benefit derived from use and not in proportion
to the number of properties served. Depending on the terms of any
household insurance you may have, you may be covered for most of
any repair costs, it would be worth enquiring. The cost of the repair
per household is proportional to the length of repaired sewer serving
that house and is calculated using a standard formula.
Local Authority Powers
Local Authorities have three main powers for dealing with blockages and repairs to defective private sewers and drains.
Blocked Drains/Private Sewers (not Council house tenants)
The Council provides a 4-hour response drain/private sewer unblocking
service through a nominated supplier. The Company providing that
service is Mai-Tec Construction, telephone 01424 773434. Residents
using this service should contact the Company, and identify themselves
as a Dartford resident. It is not essential, but it would help the
Company if you know when your house was built and if the blockage
is affecting more than one property.
The Company’s charges are;
Monday to Friday (call received before 16.30) £60
including VAT
Evenings and Weekends £80
including VAT
Bank Holidays £100
including VAT
This is a fixed charge (no hidden extras) and as with other companies
the person requesting the service will receive the account. Contributions
from neighbours will be the responsibility of the householder, although
a standard letter to assist can be provided.
If the Council orders the work on your behalf the charges, valid up
to 31 March 2006, would be;
Monday to Friday (call received before 16.30) £85
including VAT
Evenings and Weekends £105
including VAT
Bank Holidays £140
including VAT
Failing this the Council can serve a 48 hour Public Health Act Notice.
If the notice is not complied with, they may carry out the work themselves
and reclaim the expenses from the person(s) concerned by apportionment
of costs. This means that the blockage could remain in place for the
48 hours with the extra cleaning costs and administrative costs added
to the basic unblocking charge.
Minor Repairs to Drains/Private Sewers
The Council can serve a 7 day Public Health Act Notice of their intention to deal with a drain, private sewer etc that has not been maintained and kept in good repair, it can recover its expenses by apportionment of costs.
Defective Drains/Private Sewers
In dealing with a major defect, affecting a large number of houses the Council may serve a Building Act Notice requiring repair within 42 days. It can recover its expenses by apportionment of costs.
