Drains
Owners are responsible for drains within the curtilage of a property – this is usually up to the boundary of the property. In some cases, responsibility can extend beyond the boundary. Where drains are shared, the mains water company (Wessex Water or South West Water) are responsible.
If repair work is needed, it is worth checking with your building’s insurance provider first, as you may be covered. Several companies also offer insurance that specifically covers drain blockages and defects.
If you rent your property, your landlord should unblock and make repairs to private drains when necessary.
Somerset Council does not hold records of and cannot provide copies of drainage plans for privately owned land or property.
Sewers
The water company is responsible for sewers – the pipes that carry waste and water from properties. You can find more information about who is responsible for drains and sewers on the Wessex Water website.
Road Gullies
Road gullies are drains that take surface water from a road. For more information, visit our Drains and gullies page.
Septic tanks, cesspools and treatment plants
Septic tanks, cesspools, and treatment plants are used to treat foul waste in areas where there is no main sewer. It is usually up to the householder or the landlord to manage them. We can investigate problems with private drainage where the system is defective and causing localised pollution.
Laws and regulations
We have an enforcement role to make sure that buildings have sufficient and satisfactory provision for drainage. This can include damaged or blocked drains. If we are called in to investigate a damaged or blocked drain and those responsible are not taking appropriate action, a legal notice will be served on the owners of all affected properties under the Building Act 1984. This will require them to carry out the necessary work to repair or unblock the drains.
Facilities in the Sedgemoor area
The following facilities in the Sedgemoor area are council maintained sewage treatment plants and surface water pumping stations.
- Aley, Quantock Lane
- Burtle, Edington
- Crickham
- East Quay (Castlefields) Stormwater Pumping Station
The following are pumping stations and pumping mains maintained by Somerset Council.
- Cossington Tip
- Chilton Trinity Tip
- Huntworth, Somerset Bridge
- Street Recycling Centre
Please tell us about any problems with a council owned or maintained sewage treatment or pumping station, confirming the name of the site from the lists above.
Problems could include:
- the light on top of the kiosk flashing – this shows there is a fault with the station
- sewage is leaking out of one of the chambers on the site
