Who is responsible for clearing blocked drains and sewers?
This all depends on what type of drain or sewer it is: • If the blocked sewer is public, the relevant water company for your area will clear it, usually free of charge • If the sewer is private, the householders who share the sewer should clear it at their own expense • If it is a drain that serves your house only, you alone are responsible • If you are a tenant of a housing association you should contact your housing association • If you are a tenant of a rented property then the situation may be complicated and you should contact your landlord for advice Shouldn’t all the other houses that use the sewer have to pay some of the costs? Strictly speaking, yes. The sewer is the joint responsibility of all those houses that use it. They should pay equal amounts of the cost of any clearance. If you do not want to be responsible for arranging to have a sewer cleared, the council can serve a legal notice on all of the houses involved, requiring them to clear the sewer within 48 hours of rece
