If you think there is a blockage or if your property has been flooded by our public sewer, please call us on 0845 9200 800 (Textphone: 0845 7200 899) and one of our team will be here to help, 24 hours a day.

Blockages in household pipes can be particularly nasty, stopping wastewater from leaving your property.

If you find it difficult to flush your toilet or notice that water drains away very slowly, this could be a sign of a blockage.

When wastewater is unable to flow away it can come back up from the toilet or sink, flooding your home.

What causes blockages?

Sewers are only designed to take away wastewater, toilet tissue and human waste.

All other paper products, including kitchen roll and wet wipes, should be put in the bin.

Most blockages are caused by cooking fat and oil, which congeal in the sewers, forming a thick layer around the pipe. This prevents sewage from flowing and can cause it to back up.

Wet wipes and sanitary items also contribute to some of the most troublesome blockages.

Top tips to keep your drains flowing

• Love your loo: Make sure that only wastewater, toilet tissue and human waste goes down your drains and into the sewer.
• Bin it - don't block it: Wrap up sanitary products, nappies, wet wipes and condoms and put them in the bin.
• Think - not in the sink! After cooking, fat, oil and grease should be left to cool - it can then be put in the bin or mixed with seeds and nuts to make a feeder for birds.
• Chemicals, solvents, engine oil and paint should be taken to your local refuse site.
• Medicines, tablets, syringes and needles should be taken to your pharmacist, local hospital or health authority for safe disposal.

Identifying who is responsible for clearing a blockage

If you're unsure who is responsible for clearing a blocked drain or sewer, you may find the following information helpful.

It may be the property owner's responsibility if:

• Only one property is experiencing problems
• The property doesn't share drainage with any other property
• There is no other flooding in the local area

It may be our responsibility if we have public sewers in the area and:

• More than one property is experiencing problems
• There is widespread sewer flooding in the area

• Find out more about how to help prevent blockages and flooding

What you can expect from us

We will try to get to the affected area within six hours of being told about the problem.

However, depending on the severity of the blockage, this could range from one to 24 hours.

When you call us to report your blockage, we will call you back within two hours to let you know when we will be able to get to you.

If we find that the blockage is within our public sewer system, we will clear it for free.

When we come out to look at the blockage

• We will confirm if the blocked pipework belongs to us.
• If the blockage is within your external drains, we may offer a private clearance service for £100. This will involve an engineer spending up to two hours investigating and clearing the blockage.
• If the blockage happens again within seven days, we will look at it again for free.