Lewes District Council

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Environmental Health
Lewes District Council
Southover House
Southover Road
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 1AB

Tel: 01273 484354
ehealth@lewes.gov.uk
Minicom 01273 484488

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Drains and drainage

Information on drains and drainage, including who is responsible for maintenance and repair.

From 1 October 2011 legislation took effect meaning that householders are no longer responsible for private sewers serving their properties. The Government wants clear ownership and better long-term maintenance for the sewer network and has therefore passed legislation that has transferred responsibility for these pipes to Southern Water. If you have a blocked sewer you should contact Southern Water.

Householders are still responsible for drains which are the pipes that carry the foul or surface water from just one property. This drain is the sole responsibility of the owner of that property. This is for its full length up to the point where the pipe either connects to another pipe from another property, or goes beyond the boundary of the property. At this point the drain becomes a sewer. As a homeowner you may have a responsibility for the repair or maintenance of the drain.

Cess Pits

A cess pit is a sealed storage tank holding sewage before being taken away by a tanker. The sewage is not treated in the tank. Older cess pits are usually cylindrical pits lined with either brick or concrete. Modern cess pits are made from fibre glass, steel or polyethylene. Current building regulations require cess pits to be able to hold at least 18,000 litres of sewage. It is estimated that each person produces 115 litres of sewage a day. For a family of four this means that the tank will need emptying about once a month.

Septic Tank

A septic tank treats domestic sewage and discharge, either into a watercourse or into the ground. In septic tanks the solids in the sewage settle to the bottom.
Relatively clear liquid is left which forms a layer of scum on its surface. Bacteria feed on this liquid and digest some of the matter in it. The liquid then either passes into another settlement tank before passing to a watercourse or is discharged underground through a network of pipes to filter through the soil.

Septic tanks are capable of treating all of a household's domestic sewage. However, the solids that build up at the bottom of the tank do need to be pumped out about once a year. Too much bleach, detergent and other household chemicals may destroy the useful bacteria used in a septic tank. As a result the sewage will not be treated fully and may cause pollution problems.

Emptying the septic tank regularly will ensure the septic tank keeps working properly. It is an offence to allow a tank to overflow. We can legally ask a tank be repaired or emptied. If tanks discharge final effluent to a watercourse a Consent for Discharge is needed from the Environment Agency. They set standards for quality of effluent that can be allowed to enter rivers and streams.

Ditches

The vast majority of roadside ditches are owned by the adjoining landowner. The owner has a legal responsibility to prevent a hazard being caused to users of the highway. They should be maintained regularly to keep free of silt and other debris in order to reduce the possibility of flooding.

A Parish or Town Council, or any member of the public can approach the owner to clear a ditch. If this is not successful, East Sussex County Council has legal powers to enforce action at the ditch owner’s expense in circumstances where there is a risk of flooding to the highway.

In places where ditches or watercourses crossing private land present a risk of flooding to property, we have legal powers to enforce action by the ditch owners.

Effluent

Effluent is liquid waste produced by businesses. Detergents, cooling waters, chemicals and small amounts of oil are all examples. Many businesses will produce trade effluent and require consent to discharge effluent to drains. Otherwise an offence may be committed that may lead to enforcement action.