Sewer pipe responsibility

Understanding sewer pipe responsibility

If you experience an issue with a sewer pipe, such as a blockage or flooding, it’s important that you understand who is responsible for fixing it. 

 

Understanding who owns and maintains each part of the wastewater system helps you report the issue to the right organisation and avoid delays in getting it fixed.

 

We’re not responsible for:

  • Highway drainage, such as road gullies. These are the local authority’s responsibility.
  • Drains on your property that only serve a single property. These are the homeowner’s responsibility (you, your landlord or housing association) 

What we’re responsible for:

  • Maintaining all public sewers and most shared sewers.  

What is your responsibility?

Private sewers are the responsibility of the homeowner. These include:

  • Private drains within your property boundary, including all internal plumbing, gutters, downpipes, gullies, soil stacks, manhole covers and underground pipework that serve only your property. 
  • Private sewerage treatment works and septic tanks. 
  • Shared drains serving flats, such as Tyneside flats or blocks of flats within a single boundary. These remain the shared responsibility of the owners. 
  • Surface water sewers that do not connect into a public sewer, for example, draining directly to a watercourse or soak away.

What is our responsibility?

We are responsible for: 

  • All public sewers (usually located under roads and footpaths).
  • Most shared sewers where drains from several neighbouring properties join before connecting to the public sewer. 

Since 1 October 2011, most existing shared private sewers and lateral drains outside property boundaries transferred to Northumbrian Water under the Private Sewer Transfer Regulations (2011). This means pipes shared with neighbours or running beyond your boundary are often our responsibility. Properties built after 2011 generally remain the responsibility of the homeowner or property developer. 

What is the local authority responsible for?

The local authority is responsible for highway gullies and drains. These are the grated openings at road edges that drain surface water from the highway. 

Helpful information

Follow these simple checks to help you report the problem to the right place and get it resolved as quickly as possible.

 
Is the issue within your property boundary and serving only your home?

If yes, it’s the homeowner’s responsibility. You’ll need to arrange a private contractor. Websites like www.checkatrade.com can help you find one.

 
Are your neighbours experiencing the same problem?

Please report the issue to us on 0345 717 1100. We can also send you a link to record your experience, which helps us resolve ownership queries.

 
Is the problem with a road gully on the street?

Road gullies are usually the responsibility of the local authority (Highways), so they’re best placed to help.

 
Is it a septic tank, cesspit or private treatment system not connected to the public sewer?

These systems are the homeowner’s responsibility.

Here are some typical drainage problems and who can help:

 
Slow internal drainage and a manhole in your garden, neighbours not affected.

What to do: contact a drainage contractor. This is usually a private drain within your boundary.

 
Drainage problems affecting multiple homes, manhole in pavement surcharging.

What to do: report this to us as soon as possible. It's likely a public/shared sewer that we're responsible for.

 
Flooding from a grated gully in the road.

What to do: report it to your local authority who manages highway gullies.

 
Rural property with a septic tank discharging to the ground.

What to do: the property owner arranges servicing, emptying and any repairs. This is not a public sewer asset.

We don't hold information on private drains and sewers.

We have a map of our assets which may help. You can request a copy for an administration fee by emailing plans@nwl.co.uk with your address.

 

If you need to find out if a sewer is private or our responsibility, call us on 0345 717 1100 and we may be able to tell you over the phone.

 

If we can't, we’ll arrange for a technician to visit and confirm if the sewer is our responsibility or  yours.

 

We will only carry out work on sewers that are our responsibility. If we find it's a private issue, it's the homeowner’s responsibility to fix it. If you’re the homeowner or tenant, you'll need to contact a drainage company or your landlord to help you further. We recommend getting three quotes before choosing a contractor.

 

Sewer pipe responsibility

Find out which drainage you're responsible for

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Video transcript

If your house was built before 2011, you might not be aware that government legislation changed who was responsible for some of the drainage around your property.

 

As a result, you might be unsure which drainage you are responsible for, and which is the responsibility of Northumbrian Water.

 

Externally you are responsible for guttering rainwater, down pipes and soil pipes from toilets and bathrooms. You are also responsible for external, below ground drainage pipes, where they only serve your property and are within your property boundary.

 

This includes manholes and inspection chambers that are connected to those below ground pipes. Where below ground drainage pipes become shared with other properties or leave your property boundary, they are now the responsibility of Northumbrian Water. This includes manholes and inspection chambers that are connected to those below ground pipes.

 

Northumbrian Water is also responsible for the public sewer network, which is usually located within the public highway.

Advice for sewer flooding and blockages

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