Drainage help & advice

In this section you will find advice and contacts related to drainage problems.

What we do?

Hounslow Highways is responsible for maintaining the drains, gullies and preventing flooding on the highways.

Reporting a blocked road drain or road gully

Blocked or broken road drains can be reported to us by completing our contact form.

What to do if your keys have fallen down a road gully

We can attempt to retrieve the keys from the gully, but please note there is a charge for this service.

Who to report a broken/damaged manhole cover to

If you can identify the owner of the manhole cover e.g. Thames Water, Electricity Board, BT then you should report it to them directly.

If you are unable to identify the owner then you can contact us.

If you are a private householder

The pipe that carries waste water away from your house is a drain. If this pipe joins a drain from another property it becomes a sewer from that point onwards. There is often an inspection chamber at this point. The drain is the responsibility of the property owner and the sewer is usually Thames Water’s responsibility.

From 1 October 2011 water and sewerage companies became responsible for private sewers in England and Wales. If the sewer serving your property is blocked please call Thames Water on 0845 9200 800.

There are some cases where the property owners are still responsible for the section of pipe between the property and the public sewer. If the drain serves only your property then you have sole responsibility to maintain it up to the point where it meets the public sewer. You may need to contact a private drainage firm to unblock it for you. Kitchen gullies and soakaways are also the responsibility of the property owner.

If you are unsure whose responsibility it is please contact Thames Water on 0845 9200 800.

For further information about blockages and the transfer of private sewers please contact Thames Water.

If you are a council tenant you will need to contact the customer service centre at Hounslow Housing on 0208 583 2000. They will arrange for a plumber to visit you to resolve the problem.

If you have a query relating to the drainage for your own (or adjoining properties) then please contact Hounslow Council at www.hounslow.gov.uk.

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