On 6 September 2010 the government decided that most private sewers, lateral drains and pumping stations that form part of the sewer or lateral drain that connect to the public sewer network should be transferred to the ownership of the regulated sewerage companies in England and Wales.
Schedule of transfers
- Private sewers and lateral drains that were connected to the public sewer before 1 July 2011 were transferred on 1 October 2011.
- Private pumping stations were transferred by 1 October 2016
The figure below illustrates an example of the new drainage arrangements:
If you would like to find out more about the transfer of private sewers and pumping stations, including the background and regulations, please read the information provided by Defra.
The appeals process is now closed
On 1 October 2016, the transfer of the remaining eligible pumping stations occurred. The appeal process has now closed and we are no longer able to accept any further appeals relating to the transfer of private sewers, lateral drains or pumping stations.
If you own a sewer, lateral drain or pumping station that serves more than one property that was not transferred as a result of this process, you can still request that your local sewerage company adopts it. You will need to contact the company to find out the details of this process, however it is possible that the sewerage company may refuse to adopt the asset, or may place conditions on the adoption. This can include a requirement to undertake works to bring the asset up to an acceptable standard at your expense before a transfer would occur.
What to do if you believe that a pumping station you own should have been transferred, but you have not yet contacted your local sewerage company
Sewerage companies were not necessarily aware of all of the privately owned pumping stations located within the area that they serve. If you find out about this transfer after 1 October 2016 and you own a potentially eligible pumping station, you should contact your sewerage company as it may have already been transferred to the sewerage company.