Drains and Sewers
Drains and sewers, it's a complicated business, but it's very important to know who is responsible for what - especially if there's a problem.
Homeowners and owner/occupiers
Generally speaking, a private drain is the pipe that takes waste water away from a property. You are responsible for the private drain.
Where it joins with other private drains coming from nearby properties it becomes a private sewer. At the moment, if your home was built after 1937, you are responsible for the private sewer along with the other households that connect to it. If there's a blockage all the properties that are 'upstream' of the problem are jointly responsible for sorting it out even if it is outside their boundaries.
From 2012, the water sewerage companies (see below) will become responsible for the private sewers (for properties built before 1937, these sewers are already the responsibility of the water sewerage companies). There are some exceptions, so it's best to check with your water company if you are at all unsure.
The private sewers then connect to the main pipe that takes the waste water away, this is the public sewer. Your local water sewerage company is responsible for the public sewers.
In much of North East Derbyshire the company responsible for the public sewers is Yorkshire Water, but to the south of Clay Cross they are the responsibility of Severn Trent Water. Their websites show diagrams and explanations of who is responsible for different parts of the sewer system.
The grates that you see at the kerbside are gullies and are used to take surface water off the roads. Derbyshire County Council is responsible for clearing the gullies to avoid flooding.
What if I rent my home?
The landlord/owner of the property is responsible for the private drains and private sewers that serve it, however your tenancy agreement should show if any problems (such as blockages) are your responsibility. Rykneld Homes tenants can find out more details from the Tenant's Handbook.
Avoiding Problems
Most blockages are caused by the wrong things being put down the sink or toilet, such as food waste, cooking grease, nappies and other healthcare items. Yorkshire Water's 'Bin It' pages show exactly what you shouldn't be flushing away and how to avoid blockages.
What should I do when something goes wrong?
That depends on what and where the problem is. Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions for more details.
Please Note: the Council does not provide a drain clearing service for private properties.
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