Sewers - responsibilities

Sewers can be divided into a number of different categories. Responsibility changes between the categories summarised below. The links to the left provide further detailed information on each of these categories, explaining what the responsibilities mean for you.

• Private Drains/Laterals serving one house within the boundary of the property - Responsibility of  the landowner/householder. For example: the piped connection from the house to the edge of the property or if within the boundary of the property to where another drain/sewer connects and the pipe becomes shared
• Private Drains/Laterals outside the boundary of a property - Responsibility of the Sewage Undertaker. For example: piped connections used by one house but outside the boundary of that property.
• Shared Private Sewers - Responsibility of the Sewage Undertakers. For example: the sections of piped connections where households share the drain (shared use) up the main public sewer.
• Public Sewers - Responsibility of the Sewage Undertaker. For example: the main sewer to which private sewers (whether shared or not) connect, which take foul sewage to treatment plants.
• Cess Pits - Responsibility of the  Landowner. For example: a sealed tank for the reception and temporary storage of sewage where there are no nearby public sewer connections available.