Blocked Sewer Pipe?
You may have a blockage, but is it a sewer? Or a drain? Because, believe it or not, there is a difference. Sewers are shared drains. That’s all.
Sewers take sewage, also known as ‘foul water’, from toilets, bathrooms and kitchens, and surface water from more than one property. And everything that we do for drains at Lanes, we can do for sewers too. So, if there’s a blocked sewer, we can unblock it. Simple.
Who owns the problem?
That depends on whose sewer it is. Responsibility for maintenance and repair of private sewers or lateral drains (eg: the section outside a property boundary which joins it directly to the main) changed in October 2011 when the Government transferred ownership of private sewers and lateral drains to the statutory water and sewerage companies (WSCs).
It means that individual householders are no longer responsible for private sewers that they share with another property or for the section of their property's drain that lies outside the property boundary.
The householder IS still responsible for the drain serving the property and located within the property boundary though. (Check the DEFRA website for more details.) And remember that you may be covered by your house insurance for damage to sewers you maintain.
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Who are you going to call?
It’s confusing for householders. Unless you have a detailed knowledge of your underground drainage system, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly which is a sewer and which is a drain, who owns which bit — and, ultimately, who to call when there’s a blockage.
We will tell you straight
Like drains, sewer pipes get blocked from time to time and can pose a real risk to health if the sewage overflows. That’s why an expert operator — like Lanes — with all the appropriate protective clothing and equipment, should deal with a sewer blockage. We’ll tell you whether the affected pipe is yours or belongs to your WSC. That way you’ll know what to do next. In many cases, Lanes carries out sewer unblocking on behalf of the WSCs. And, as you would expect from Lanes, we do it right across the UK and right round the clock.
Contact Your Local Sewer Depot
It doesn't matter where in the UK a sewer blockage is. Because we have depots right across the country, so you’re never too far away to call for our efficient, effective, emergency blocked sewer service. Day or night, Lanes deals with blocked sewer pipes. You call us, and we despatch one of our expert sewer unblock engineers 24-hours a day, 365-days a year.
If you know for sure that the affected sewer is part of your water and sewerage company’s remit, obviously that’s easy: call them direct. If not, find your nearest Lanes depot, call us FREE on 0800 526 488, or use our online enquiry form.