Drainage is something most of us don’t ever think about until something goes wrong.

Definitions

• A private drain serves only one property
• A sewer serves more than one property and may be private or public

For problems with sewers which serve Council properties you should contact the Council repairs team on 01233 330366 and they will arrange for a contractor to come out and investigate.

Polluted ditches or watercourses should be reported to the Environment Agency incident desk on 08708 506506.

For drains, ditches or gulleys on the highway, please report the issue via Kent County Councils website.

Responsibility for Defects

The responsibility for clearing a private sewer lies with whoever’s foul water ends up in the pipe.  Everyone feeding into that pipe is responsible for unblocking and repairs until the private sewer reaches the connection with the public sewer.  You may be responsible for costs of rectifying defects even if they are not physically on your property.  This may include CCTV surveys to identify defects, unblocking and repairs.  You can find contact numbers for drainage contractors in the Yellow Pages.  The Council does not hold a list of approved contractors.

Householders are often not aware that many household building insurance policies will cover repairs for private drainage problems within your curtilege up to a limited amount, usually around £1,000.  

Charges

All properties whose sewage eventually ends up in the public sewer pay charges to the sewerage undertaker. In the Ashford Borough this is Southern Water even if they are initially served by a private sewer.

General Advice to Help Prevent Blockages

• Don’t pour fat down drains; this is often the cause of blockages.  Wipe pans with kitchen roll or pour out the fat into another container and wait for it to congeal before disposing of it in the bin
• Don’t put bags containing dog or cat poo down your drain.  It may sound silly but people do it!
• Don’t put feminine hygiene products or baby toiletry items (eg. wipes and disposable nappies) down the toilet as they don’t break up like toilet paper and can cause a blockage in the pipe.
• Only use the recommended amount of washing powder as this can build up along the inside of the pipe and cause it to loose flow and eventually block up.
• Make sure contractors don’t put artex, cement, rubble, glue, plaster or render etc. down the sink or outside gulleys.  It will harden and can cause blockages. 
• Don’t bury your manhole cover.  If you pave, cement or put decking over it you may have to rip it all out to gain access to the manhole and even then you may not remember where it actually is.
• Make sure any manholes or gullies are covered. Missing covers mean many things can fall into the pipe and cause a blockage.
• Periodically checking your kitchen gulley for fatty deposits and removing any build up can save you a lot of money later

When Does The Council Get Involved and Why?

The Council has powers to intervene where a defect in a private drain or sewer is not rectified by those responsible.  The Council can serve legal notices and carry out works in default to rectify the problem if works detailed in a notice are not carried out.    In such cases the Council will not only charge the cost of works in default but also recover administration costs which can be recovered from the households affected.

The Council has NO POWER  to require Southern Water to maintain public sewers.  However Southern Water do have their own complaints procedure.  If you are still unhappy with their response you can contact WaterVoice or OFWAT.

Drains and Sewers Advice Leaflet 117Kb PDF