Blockages in the home
Blocked drains and pipes can cause damage to your property and are very unpleasant to deal with.
Identifying a blockage
Here are four signs that could mean you have a blockage:
- water or waste that’s slow to drain or not draining
- water backing up or overfilling
- gurgling sounds coming from drains and plumbing
- raw sewage or wastewater returning into your home.
Clearing your blocked drain
Watch our video to find out what you should do if you experience a blockage in your home.
Who is responsible?
If the blockage is in your home, it is your responsibility to unblock it. You are responsible for the drains that serve your home up to the boundary of your property or to the point where it joins with pipework from another property, whichever is closest.
Our guide to pipework responsibility will help you to check whether the blocked pipe is yours or ours. Remember to check your household insurance if it is your responsibility, as you might be covered for the cost of clearing the blockage.
If you are responsible
If the blockage is on a section of pipe you are responsible for, you should contact a qualified plumber.
If we are responsible
If the blockage is on a section of pipe that is our responsibility, report the blockage online or call us on 0345 600 4 600 (24 hours).
What should you do about sewer flooding?
If a blockage has caused sewage to back up into your home or garden, follow our sewer flooding advice to help protect yourself, your family and your home.