Drainage - help and advice
Gullies
It is the responsibility of the Parking, Highways and
Engineering service to maintain gullies in the highway. To report a
problem with a road gully, contact the Parking, Highways and
Engineering service or complete and submit the online form at the
link below.
Drains
The Environmental Health Service provides information and
advice about blocked or defective drains and sewers serving private
properties.
The following information describes your rights and obligations
as a tenant or home owner.
How the law affects you
It is important to understand the different classifications of
pipework. Responsibilities are different with each type of
pipe.
- "Drain" carries waste and/or surface water
directly from one house into a public or private sewer.
- "Sewer" carries waste water and or surface
water from two or more houses.
- "Private Sewer" carries waste water and or
surface water from two or more houses which are built after 1
October 1937, and will eventually join with a public sewer.
- "Public Sewer" carries waste water from two or
more properties built before 1 October 1937 (with some exclusions)
or sewer adopted by the sewerage undertaker (NWW Ltd),usually under
the highway.
Your responsibilities
Drain
If you own a house you are responsible to clear and repair the
drains, gutters and rain water pipes.
If you are a tenant the landlord is responsible, but depending
on your tenancy agreement, the landlord may pass on the costs to
you.
Private Sewer
The owners of all the houses using the private sewer are jointly
responsible to clear and repair it.
When there is a blockage or break, the owners of the houses
using the pipes up to this point are responsible to clear and
repair it. Downstream of the problems, owners of houses are not
responsible because their waste does not flow into the pipe at the
point of the problem.
Public Sewer
The Sewerage Undertaker United Utilities is
responsible to clear and repair all public sewers. In Rochdale
borough, this work is contracted out to Technical Services
Department.
If owners of houses fail to meet their responsibilities,
the Environmental Health Service may serve a statutory notice to
ensure that the necessary work is carried out.
If the work is not carried out, we will carry out the
works. All costs incurred in carrying out the work plus an
administration charge will be recharged to the persons
responsible.
Problems
If you have a blocked drain, try to establish where the blockage
is. If nobody else’s house is affected then the blockage is
likely to be in your drain and the responsibility to clear it is
yours.
If other houses are affected then find out when the houses
built
Houses built before 1 October 1937
Most terraced houses were built before 1937. Responsibility
usually lies with the sewerage undertaker. Ring 01706
924575.
Houses built after 1 October 1937
Owners of the houses using the pipe at the point of the blockage
are responsible. If your neighbours do not co-operate or disagree
with you, or you have any queries, contact the Environmental Health
service.
Remember
There are many causes of blocked drains. Help yourself by not
putting large bulky waste down the toilet like disposable nappies,
sanitary towels or incontinence pads. Instead, wrap them, put them
in a bag and put them in the dustbin or yellow bag system.