We often report on blocked drainage problems, so we thought we would give you some information on basic drainage systems and how they operate.

We all have drains that take sewage from our properties to the sewage treatment centres that are dotted around the country. The drain that leaves your house can serve just your property, or it may connect with your neighbour’s property, however it is worth noting that it is your responsibility until it connects to the public sewer system.

The public sewer collects the sewage from properties so it can flow to your nearest sewage treatment works. This sewer is likely to be underneath the road outside your home and many pipes will connect into it before the effluent reaches the treatment centre.

The sewage that reaches the treatment works will be made up from water from your kitchen sink, washbasin, showers and baths, toilet waste and rainwater from road systems.

Most sewage is organic so it can be treated using organic, natural processes, however every year hundreds of thousands of pounds is spent nationally, removing things that should not be put into the sewerage system such as sanitary products, waste cooking oil and fats.

The disposal of non-sewerage items doesn’t just cost the taxpayer this money, it may also affect you more directly. Plumbing bills and drain unblockage costs have to be met by the homeowner if the blockage is in the drain before it meets the public sewer. And in severe cases, you could be prosecuted and fined for contravening section 111 of the Water Industry Act 1992.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 20th, 2010 at 9:11 am and is filed under Blocked Drainage, General Information. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.