Flooding from private sewers, drains and pipes

As of 1 October 2011, Thames Water became responsible for managing private sewers and lateral drains outside the boundary of an individual property or serving more than one property under 'The Transfer of Private Sewer Regulations 2011'. 

The section of pipe within the property boundary remains the responsibility of the homeowner.

How to deal with flooding

If you're experiencing problems with a drain or sewer:

1. Check to confirm you're responsible for the the issue before calling a drainage contractor
2. You can check by asking your neighbour if they have a similar problem
3. If the response is yes, it's likely the problem is in the shared section of the sewer - contact Thames Water (0800 316 9800) to address the problem
4. If the response is no, it’s likely the problem is unique to your section - contact a local drain and pipe cleaning contractor (the Yellow pages is a useful source)

For more information on the transfer of private sewers, visit Thames Water website.

Page last updated: 04 August 2021