Woking Borough Council
Civic OfficesGloucester SquareWokingSurreyGU21 6YL
Telephone: 01483 755855
Drains and sewers
Sewage is removed from your home to a treatment plant via a network of pipes. The responsibility for maintaining and cleansing this sewerage network changed on 1st October 2011.
Sewers
Since the 1st October 2011, sewerage undertakers are now responsible for all sewer systems, which for the Woking area is Thames Water. A sewer system is a network of pipes which collects sewage from two or more properties. More information regarding the change in responsibilities can be found on the Thames Water website. Problems with the foul sewer need to be reported to Thames Water on 0845 9200 800
Private Drains
Any pipe which drains a single property or a number of properties/buildings within the same curtilage is defined as a drain and will remain the responsibility of the owner/occupier of the premises up to the point where it is no longer within the curtilege of your property or it connects to a sewer. If the drain is blocked outside the boundary of your property, then it is likely to be the responsibility of Thames Water to unblock
Other Drainage Systems
In the public highway, the gullies in the road are the responsibility of Surrey County Council.
The public surface water sewer in the road is the responsibility of Thames Water.
In private roads, the road gullies and drains and the surface water drainage in private parking areas are the responsibility of the owners(s) / occupiers(s). This responsibility extends up to the connection with the public surface water sewer.
A polite reminder
The following items often give rise to blockages which can easily be avoided. Please do not flush the following items down the drain:
- disposable nappies
- cloth, rags or clothes
- quantities of fat e.g. contents of chip pans
- incontinence pads
- plastic toilet block holders.
- facial wipes
- cleaning wipes and
- kitchen towels.