Sewerage leaflet - South West Water

We maintain a network of public sewers which takes the waste
water from your property for treatment and disposal and we are
obliged to provide and maintain an adequate sewerage system for
the region we operate in.
Foul, surface water and combined sewers
The sewerage system in your area is likely to be one of the following three types:
■ A foul sewer takes only waste water, such as waste from kitchens and bathrooms
for example.
■ A surface water sewer takes only domestic rain water from roofs and some
hardstanding areas (it may also take some highway drainage water).
■ A combined sewer takes both waste water and surface water. This type of sewer
was laid mainly before the 1960s and it tends to be more susceptible to flooding
during heavy rainfall. Generally, we no longer accept new surface water
connections to public combined sewers.
■ Purpose Public sewers are specifically provided to convey foul drainage and in the
case of surface water sewers and combined sewers, domestic surface water drainage.
Our sewers are not intended to drain floodwater from rivers etc or run off from
agricultural land or deal with highway drainage. The Highways Authority have their
own responsibility for highway drainage even in locations where much of it is
connected to one of our sewers.
Responsibility for pipework
The pipework which comprises the sewerage system can be categorised in three ways:
a drain; a private sewer; or a public sewer.
A drain is a pipe through which foul or surface water flows from one property to a
sewer. Responsibility for the drain up to the point of connection with the sewer lies
with the owner of the property. (Unless the pipe has been adopted as a Public Lateral
drain by South West Water).
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Services Helpline: 0800 169 1144