Drainage

The Environmental Protection Team investigate complaints of blocked sewers, defective drainage and septic tanks.

Blocked and defective drainage
Blocked Sewer
Drainage Defects
Septic Tanks
Downloadable Documents
Contact Details

Blocked and Defective Drainage

The Law

The Building Act 1984 sets out the definitions of drains, sewers and who is responsible for their maintenance and upkeep.

There are three main categories of sewage pipes which are;

• Public Sewer - These pipelines are maintained by the sewerage undertaker which in the Taunton Deane area is mainly Wessex Water. If your property and the pipeline serving it was constructed before the 1st October 1937 and it serves at least two properties, it could be a public sewer.
• Private Drain - This refers to a pipeline serving just one property, the responsibility of which remains the sole concern of the person whose house it serves.
• Private Sewer - This is a pipeline serving two or more properties built after 1 October 1937. A private sewer is the responsibility of everyone who connects into it. Private sewers and drains remain private up to and including the point at which they connect to the public sewer, even when they run under public roads.

Blocked Sewer

If the drain or sewer serving your property becomes blocked it may be possible to clear it yourself. A set of drain rods can clear most blockages and are easily obtained from most builders merchants.

If you are trying to clear a blockage yourself it is important you don't put yourself at risk, wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards.

If you are unable to clear the blockage yourself it may be necessary to employ a specialist drainage company. Before doing so, it is advisable to contact your neighbours about the blockage as they may also be liable for any costs incurred in clearing the blockage.

If the public sewer becomes blocked the sewerage undertaker (Wessex Water) should be contacted, they will clear any blockages and resolve any problems as necessary.

Most blockages are caused because of items being put down the toilet or drain that should be thrown into the bin. Such items are nappies, cotton buds, food waste, hot fats and sanitary towels. If hot fat or grease is poured down the sink it cools in the sewer or drain serving the house and sets; it can build up overtime and cause blockages.

Drainage Defects

If you are having regular blockages it could be because of a problem with the pipe work, such as a collapsed pipe, bad connection or delimitation in pitch fibre pipes.

The Environmental Protection Team are experienced in tracing the causes of drainage problems and finding out the properties connecting into private sewers and will provide advice and support if you have a problem.

If necessary a CCTV survey can be carried out of the pipeline to show the cause of the blockages. This means the sewer pipes would not have to be excavated to establish the cause of any problems.

If a defect is found and the private sewer is serving several properties a Building Act Notice can be served on the owners or occupiers of each property requiring repairs to be made. In such circumstances the cost of the repair are shared between the households affected.

If you think you have a problem with your drain or sewer contact the Environmental Protection Team

Tel: 01823 356339
Email: environmental.protection@tauntondeane.gov.uk.

Septic Tanks

These are normally privately owned and serve only one property, although occasionally two or more properties can share them. In this case the responsibility for maintenance and upkeep rests equally with all the users.

Septic tanks need regular maintenance to ensure they are working properly and not causing pollution. The tips below should be followed:

• Check the internal state of the tank regularly.
• Check the condition of the outfall and final effluent from time to time.
• Empty the tank regularly. This should be carried out by a suitable contractor, which can be found in the Yellow Pages under 'Sewage Consultants' and 'Drain and Pipe Cleaning'.
• Do not flush unsuitable material down the toilet.
• Use 'eco-friendly' cleaning products and minimise their use

Useful information

Downloadable Documents

Free leaflets are available covering various areas of Drainage.  These include:

The Laws and Rules surrounding drains and sewers (291 KB)

Contact Details

The Environmental Protection Team would be pleased to hear from anyone who has a question, comment or suggestion about any aspect of the service. You can contact us by any of the following means:

Visit
The Council Offices at The Deane House in Belvedere Road. As the Officers spend much of their time out of the office, it is advisable to make an appointment.

Post
The Environmental Protection Team
The Deane House
Belvedere Road
Taunton
TA1 1HE

Tel: 01823 356339
Email: environmental.protection@tauntondeane.gov.uk

Wessex Water
Tel: 0845 600 4 600
Email: customer.services@wessexwater.co.uk
Website: Wessex Water (external link)

South West Water
Peninsula House
Rydon Lane
EXETER
EX2 7HR
Tel: 0845 169 11 44
Website: Southwest Water (external link)

The documents on this website can be downloaded and are published using the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) format. To view or print these documents, Adobe's Acrobat PDF reader is required which can  be downloaded from the Adobe Systems' website (external link)