Who Is Responsible for a Blocked Drain?

One of the most common questions with a drain problem is a simple one: who has to pay to fix it? The answer depends entirely on where the problem is — and that is exactly what a survey establishes. This guide explains the basics for homes around Deal and east Kent.

The general rules

• Drains inside your property boundary that serve only your home are your responsibility.
• Shared drains — those serving more than one property — are, since 2011, generally the responsibility of the water company, not the individual homeowners.
• The public sewer that the drains connect into is the water company's responsibility.

So a blockage in the pipe running from your house is usually yours; a blockage in a shared run or the sewer usually is not. The difficulty is knowing which applies — and that is where a survey comes in.

Why a CCTV survey settles it

Responsibility hinges on the exact location of the problem. A CCTV survey shows precisely where a blockage or defect is — within your boundary, in a shared run, or in the sewer — with footage and measurements. That evidence is what lets you establish responsibility with a neighbour or report it to the water company, rather than paying for something that was never your liability.

What to do

1. Get a CCTV survey to locate and identify the problem.
2. If it is within your boundary, arrange the repair.
3. If it is a shared drain or sewer, report it to your water company with the survey evidence.
4. Keep the report — it is useful if the issue recurs or when you sell.

Local note

In older east Kent towns like Deal and Sandwich, drainage has often been altered and shared over the years, so responsibility is frequently unclear. A survey is the practical way to establish it before anyone spends money.

Request a survey and the specialist will pinpoint the problem and help you understand who is responsible.