Page last updated at 13:30 GMT, Monday, December 5 2011

Drainage

If a blockage or fault occurs on a single private drain serving one property only,it is the responsibility of the owner of the property to maintain, clear and repair as necessary.

If a blockage or fault occurs on private sewers and lateral drains, (which are the sections of sewer pipe or drain which are shared with another person’s property, or run through another person’s land)  These are public sewers and are the responsibility of Southern Water (the Water Company, in Eastleigh Borough)

The Government transferred responsibility for private sewers  and lateral drains serving more than one property to water companies on October 1 2011.The purpose of this was to relieve householders of the burden of maintenance for pipes that run under the highway and reduce the potential for disputes where private sewers are shared.  Over time, this will also reduce incidents of environmental pollution and customer distress because collapses and blockages in sewers are the cause of over 80 per cent of sewer flooding incidents in our region.  For more information visit www.southernwater.co.uk/privatesewers

For further information contact us