Drainage can be categorised under three main headings; sewerage, highway drainage and land drainage.
Sewers
On 1 October 2011 the Government transferred all sewage pipes outside your property boundaries and all sewage pipes which are shared with another property within your boundary to the sewerage/water companies. In Basingstoke and Deane this will be either Thames Water Utilities or Southern Water.
The following links take you to the relevant page of their websites which explain these changes:
· Thames Water
· Southern Water.
If you believe the sewer is blocked you need to contact the relevant company. Check your sewerage bill to find out which company to contact. Thames Water covers Basingstoke Town Centre and the Tadley area. Southern Water covers anything west of the town.
Septic tanks and cesspools
These are normally privately owned and serve only one property. However, two or more houses can sometimes share them. In this case, the responsibility for maintenance and upkeep rests equally with the users of the facility. The council’s Environmental Health team can take action to investigate and resolve problems with spillage, overflow or odour affecting septic tanks and cesspools.
Useful contacts:
Environmental Health Team
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Civic Offices
London Road
Basingstoke
RG21 4AH
Tel: 01256 844844
Highway Drainage
This is the drainage that clears the rainwater from the roads and footpaths. The most common problems are blocked gullies and ditches which may result in water pooling on the surface.
All drainage associated with the public highway is the responsibility of the Highway Authority, Hampshire County Council.
You can contact the Hampshire Highways Unit on 0845 850 4422 or if calling from a mobile phone or from outside Hampshire 01256 764444.
Land Drainage
Land Drainage deals with natural flows such as rivers and watercourses. Individual landowners are responsible for the drainage of their own land and for accepting and dealing with natural flows from adjoining land.
The borough council has permissive powers available to enable it to intervene where ordinary watercourses become obstructed. The Environment Agency has similar permissive powers in respect of main rivers.
