Drainage

A drain is a pipe that drains water and waste from a building and other buildings, which belong with it.

A lateral drain is a length of pipe which carries wastewater away from your property to a sewer.  It's usually located outside your property boundary, quite often under a public pavement or the road.  A lateral drain might run under your property if you share a sewer with your neighbour.

A sewer collects water and waste from the drains of a number of buildings.  Most sewers are publicly owned and are maintained by the water company, which in the case of Warwickshire is Severn Trent. 

Repairs to drains

You are responsible for maintaining or repairing any drains inside the boundaries of your property.  

Check to see if you are covered by your home insurance or any other insurance schemes for the cost of fixing the problem.

If you cannot clear the blockage yourself, you can contact a specialist drainage contractor or plumber to clear the drain and/or carry out any necessary repairs.

If the problem is in a private sewer and your neighbours are also affected it will be adopted by Severn Trent but is the responsibility of all property owners.

If you are a tenant you should contact your landlord or Housing Association who are responsible for fixing the problem.  Give them an opportunity to resolve the problem in the first instance before contacting us.

The Council has certain powers to force owners to deal with drainage issues on privately owned land where any of the above action has not already been taken to resolve the problem.