The responsibility for water and sewerage pipes is shared between different people.

Water pipes

Water companies’ responsibilities

The companies are responsible for the water mains in the ground. They are also usually responsible for the part of the service pipe between the main and the company's stop tap, known as the communication pipe. Most properties have an underground stop tap at the boundary where the communication pipe ends. The water company is responsible for keeping these in a serviceable condition.

Householders’ responsibilities

In most cases, the part of the service pipe taking water from the company's stop tap into the house belongs to the householder or property owner. This is known as the supply pipe. It is the householder's responsibility to keep the supply pipe in good order, in the same way as they are responsible for the plumbing. It is the landlord's responsibility in rented properties (unless the rental agreement states differently).

Sometimes responsibility for supply pipes is shared between properties. For example in the diagram below, the supply pipe between houses A and B, is the shared responsibility of households A, B, and C.

Sewers

Sewerage companies’ responsibilities

Sewerage companies are responsible for the public sewers. These are usually in roads or public open spaces, but may run through private gardens. The sewerage company has a right of access to these sewers for maintenance. If the company carries out work on sewers on your land they must follow a code of practice, which is available from the company.

Householders’ responsibilities

The drains and any private sewers which carry household waste are normally the householder's (or the landlord's) responsibility. This applies up to the point they connect with the public sewers. Some private sewers and drains are being transferred to sewerage companies. Find out more about the transfer of private sewers.

Local authorities’ responsibilities

Local authorities function as landlords for council houses and are responsible for highways drainage, including gullies, on the roads they maintain.

Highways Agency’s responsibilities

In England, the Highways Agency is responsible for highways drainage on the trunk roads and motorways they maintain.