Water Act (2003)

Transfer of private sewers

Sewers serve more than one property and drains serve a single property.

A lateral drain is the section of pipe work serving a single property which extends beyond the property curtilage.

The transfer of private sewers is scheduled to place on 1st October 2011, and will affect sewers and lateral drains, not drains from the properties to their boundary.  Pumping stations will not be adopted straight away.

Useful sources of information are:

Defra - explanantion of proposed changes

Water UK - the Private Sewer transfer story to date

Water UK - links to all the Water Company pages regarding transfer

Southernwater - before and after maps

The additional work that Waterflow will aim to support the water companies and their supply chain partners to deliver is:

• blockage clearance
• minor repairs
• CCTV, Look-See inspections post blockage
• private sewer and lateral mapping
• insurance claim management

As an existing provider of these services to social housing providers and other landlords, as well as a supplier to the Water Companies and their tier 1 contractors on main sewers, we are pleased to discuss alternative approaches with any stakeholders.