Drains and Sewers

Service Deliverer:	Havant Borough Council, Southern Water
Contact:	Please call at Reception in the Public Service Plaza Foyer. Enquiries may be made Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm.
Telephone No:	HBC Customer Services 023 9244 6017 or see contacts list below >> Southern Water: 0845 278 0845
Address:	Havant Borough Council, Public Service Plaza, Civic Centre Road, Havant, PO9 2AX
Email:	customer.services@havant.gov.uk
Details:	Private drains are the responsibility of the owner(s) of the property in which the pipe is laid. Public sewers, representing over 98% of all drainage pipework, are dealt with by Southern Water Services Limited. The Council's Environmental Health team will investigate problems affecting private drains and can offer advice as part of its Public Health duty. However please note that we rarely have information about the routes of drains serving your individual property, and it might be quicker and easier to get a private contractor to find this out for you.

What is a drain?

A drain is a pipe which conveys either foul water (sink / bath / toilet etc.) or surface water (rain) from one property only.

A drain is PRIVATE and the owner or occupier of the property is responsible for maintaining the drain, clearing blockages and repairing any faults, but only as far as the boundary of the property (for example, up to the garden wall, or end of the driveway). Blocks of flats are treated in this respect as one property. Individual connections to the sewer beyond the property boundary are known as 'laterals' and are usually PUBLIC.

What is a sewer?

A sewer is a pipe which conveys water from more than one house. A sewer is (with very few exceptions) PUBLIC, and can carry clean ('surface') or dirty ('foul') water. In this area, the two systems (foul and surface) are kept separate and should never be mixed - foul sewers drain to the Waste Water Treatment Works, whilst surface water sewers drain to the nearest ditch, stream or river - or the sea.

In the Borough, PUBLIC sewers are maintained by Southern Water >>. The larger sewers are usually found under the highway, but the public sewer network includes any pipe where the water in it is shared by two or more properties and can be located anywhere - within gardens, private roads, and across fields! The Council and Southern Water hold copies of the Public Sewer Maps showing the locations of public sewers, although sewers which have become public under a recent (October 2011) change of legislation may not be recorded on the map yet. These maps are available for public inspection by appointment.

A typical foul sewer layout is shown in the diagram below. The owner of each house is only responsible for the private drain or private lateral shown by the blue (thin) line. All other pipes as shown in red (thick) lines are 'public' sewers and laterals and are the responsibility of Southern Water to maintain, clean and repair.

New sewer arrangements from Oct 2011

If my property has a private drain, why do I pay Sewerage Charges?

The term 'sewerage' refers to the infrastructure (pipes, drains, sewers, pumping stations, Waste Water Treatment Works etc.), not the liquids (sewage) they contain.

There are two elements to the Sewerage Charge. The bulk of the Charge is spent on treatment and disposal of foul sewage at a network of Waste Water Treatment Plants. Most of the Borough drains to Budds Farm in Southmoor Lane, except Emsworth and small parts of Warblington which drain to Thornham in West Sussex. This part of the Sewerage Charge is also spent on the maintenance of the public sewer network into which the private systems connect. You are only exempt the foul sewerage charge if your property drains to a cess pit or septic tank.

If you can prove that surface water from your property does not drain to a public surface water sewer, for example that it drains to a soakaway, then you can obtain an exemption of the surface water part of the Sewerage Charge. Contact Southern Water to arrange this once you have obtained the necessary proof.

When I bought my property, the Search said the property was connected to the public sewer. Don't I have a private drain?

The search question only asks whether the property is ultimately connected to the public sewer system, for the purposes of finding out whether the Sewerage Charge is payable by the occupants. It doesn't ask for the distance or the method of connection, both of which are irrelevant to the payment of the Charge. Every property will have at least a private drain or lateral, and unless connected to a cess pit or septic tank these will then drain into the public sewer network.

Where can I find out what drains and sewers serve my property?

This information will usually be shown on your property Deeds. Please note that the Council will have no record of the private drainage serving your property. If the information is not shown in your Deeds, you will have to organise a private survey to trace the routes of the pipe work. Southern Water is responsible for tracing the route of public sewers serving your property.

Who is responsible if I rent my property?

If you rent your property and have a problem with the sewerage, you should contact your landlord in the first instance.

What can I do if my drain or private lateral blocks?

During the normal working week, the Environmental Health service can, in most cases, clear a private drain blockage by rodding, for which a charge is payable. A list of charges is available here >>. Alternatively, you may choose to employ a private contractor who, in addition to rods, may have powered jetting equipment which is sometimes preferable; there is a wide choice to be found in Yellow Pages® >> under "Drain and Pipe Cleaning". Always ask for a quote before employing any contractor, and check whether your household insurance will cover the cost.

What can I do if a public sewer blocks?

Where several houses are affected by a blockage in a sewer this indicates a problem in the public sewer, which is the responsibility of Southern Water. Telephone them on 0845 278 0845 to report the blockage, giving as much information about the problem as you can.

What happens if my drain or private lateral requires repair?

You should arrange for repair by a reputable contractor. Your Buildings Insurance Policy may cover the cost of repairs - look for an "Accidental Damage to Services" clause in your Policy, although this will not cover wear and tear. Alternatively there are a number of repair policies commercially available, some offered by the water companies themselves.

What happens if I don't clear the blockage or carry out repairs?

Havant Borough Council has public health powers under various Acts of Parliament including the Building Act 1984, the Public Health Act 1961 and the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. These allow us to demand the clearing of blockages or carrying out any repair works in the private drain; the demand is issued by the Council serving a legal Notice on the relevant owners. Failure to comply with this Notice is an offence, which can lead to prosecution. If the owners do not comply with the Notice, the repairs may be carried out by the Council in default with the full costs being recovered from the owners.

What do I do if a road gully blocks?

Road gullies on the public highway are the responsibility of the highway authority, Hampshire County Council, to maintain. Road gullies are designed to only drain the highway, so it is not permissible to direct water from your property directly into them. And since they are part of the surface water system, you should NEVER dispose of paint, oil or the like down a road gully. It might be convenient but it leads to pollution of the water environment and if the incident is traced to you, you could face a hefty fine.

Hampshire County Council Highways organises the cleansing of every road gully and drain on a rota basis, so that each gully is cleaned at least once a year. In between cleans, it is possible for a gully to block (especially in areas with lots of trees in the autumn) so report any requirements for special cleans to Customer Services by email to roads@hants.gov.uk or if urgent by telephone on 0845 603 5633.

In a small number of instances a gully may be in a private area (such as a garage compound), and in this case it will be for the landowner(s) or landlord (if properties are rented) to maintain.

Can the Council offer advice?

Yes. The Environmental Health team will be pleased to investigate problems in the private drainage network, and can offer advice as part of its Public Health duty. However please note that we rarely have information about the routes of drains serving your property, and it might be quicker and easier to get a private contractor to find this out for you. If you have any queries, do not hesitate to make contact either by email to customer.services@havant.gov.uk or by telephoning (023) 9244 6017.

Who can I contact?

Environmental Health - advice and chargeable services for private drains and laterals

Havant Borough Council

Public Service Plaza

Civic Centre Road

Havant

Hampshire

PO9 2AX

Telephone: (023) 9244 6017

Email: customer.services@havant.gov.uk

Southern Water Services Ltd - public foul water and surface water sewers only

Telephone 0845 278 0845

Email: customerservices@southernwater.co.uk

Hampshire County Council Highways - road drains and gullies on the public highway only

Telephone 0845 603 5633

Email: roads@hants.gov.uk

Hermitage Housing (Havant) - tenants in the Havant area

33 East Street

Havant

Hampshire

PO9 1AA

Telephone: (023) 9279 4500

Email: hermitage@parchment.co.uk

Hermitage Housing (Waterlooville) - tenants in the Waterlooville area

Parchment Property Services

Unit 3, Southmoor Lane

Havant

Hampshire

PO9 1JW

Telephone: (023) 9248 4355

Email: hermitage@parchment.co.uk

Tenants of other landlords should contact their landlord direct - the numbers of some of the larger providers in the Borough can be found on our partner contacts page.

Havant Borough Council, Civic Centre Road, Havant, Hampshire PO9 2AX