Requisitioning a new public sewer or lateral drain
If you require a connection to a Thames Water sewer and you’re unable to deliver this yourself, normally due to third-party land crossing restrictions, you can request that we deliver this for you. This is known as a sewer requisition.
As part of this, we’ll select a suitable route for the requisition, complete a detailed design and then construct the sewer or lateral drain at your cost.
For more information on the costs associated with sewer requisitions please see Section 7 and 8 of our charging arrangements.
1. What you need to know before you apply
Before you complete the application form, you will need to know:
- Type of sewer needed – is a lateral drain or sewer required?
- Type of discharge planned – is the discharge foul water, surface water, combined or trade effluent?
- Location and details of the sewer and manhole that you would like to connect to.
- Detailed site plans as outlined in the application form
- Details of any third-party landowners on the requisition route
- The cost of your application
2. You apply and pay the fee
Application costs:
- New public sewer, connecting to a public or trunk sewer - £1,300 plus VAT
- New lateral drain, connecting to a public sewer - £3,800
- New lateral drain, connecting to a trunk sewer - £11,400
The application fees are non-refundable. See Section 7 of our charging arrangements for more information.
Where to apply
You can apply by completing the application form and emailing it to us.
Where to pay
Once you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a reference number beginning with DS, which will allow you to make a payment online.
3. We review your application
New public sewer requisition applications
Once you’ve submitted your application, our team will be in touch to confirm receipt and request any further information within 5 days.
Please allow eight weeks from the time your application fee is confirmed, and all requested information is provided. In this time we will produce a budget estimate for the cost of us to design and construct the new sewer.
New lateral drain requisition applications
Please allow 3 to 6 months from the time your application fee is received, for us to provide a fixed price for the works. We’ll need to undertake surveys and site investigations as part of this process.
This will be a fixed charge quote unless special circumstances apply, please refer to Section 14 of the charging arrangements for further details.
4. You pay the fee
If you’d like to progress the budget estimate, you’ll need to pay 15% of the total estimated cost for a sewer requisition, or the full quotation amount for a fixed charge lateral drain, to progress to the next step.
5. We design the sewer or lateral drain
We’ll complete the detailed design of the sewer requisition, including undertaking surveys, producing detailed drawings and design documents and progress to the tendering and procurement process. This will ultimately produce a detailed estimate, or updated quotation if there is a scope change, for the construction costs that will be issued.
6. You pay the construction costs
Once any further outstanding payments are received, the project progresses to construction.
7. We construct the new sewer or lateral drain
We'll appoint a framework contractor to undertake the construction of the requisition.
8. The project is finalised
A final account is produced, and the outstanding balance is agreed.
Pipelaying powers on private land
If you need further information about our powers and duties when we lay, or carry out work on, pipes in private land, please read our Code of Practice. It also outlines our responsibility to prevent contamination of the water in our pipework.If we construct a new public sewer or lateral drain, our work won’t include making the individual connections from properties to the new pipe. For these, you’ll need to apply separately for our consent to connect.
Read more about how we’ll use the information you provide in your application.
Due to the time we need to process applications, we can only guarantee issuing quotes for new sewer connections under the current financial year’s charging arrangements up until 4 March of that year. In each case, the application must be complete and require no further information.
We can’t guarantee that any applications submitted after those dates will be issued under that year’s charging arrangements.
If you’ve not begun work, you can request a requote under the following year’s charges after 31 March. Please note that a requote fee will be applicable.
Pipelaying powers on private land
Our code of practice explains our powers and duties when we lay or carry out work on pipes in private land or do work to prevent contamination of the water in our pipework. It also explains what you’re entitled to expect.
Need to pay us?
If you've already applied, you can make a payment.