By Danny Ozoum, drainage engineer, Drains 4 Brighton — updated 2026
Quick answer
In most cases, you (the property owner) are responsible for blocked drains inside your property boundary, and your water and sewerage company — Southern Water across Sussex — is responsible for the public sewers and, since 2011, most shared and lateral drains outside your boundary. So a blockage in the pipe running from your own kitchen or bathroom to the edge of your property is yours to sort; a blockage in a shared pipe serving several homes, or in the public sewer, is usually Southern Water's. This one distinction — private drain vs shared/public sewer — decides who pays.
Drain, lateral drain or sewer — what's the difference?
The words matter, because they decide responsibility:
- Drain — a pipe that serves only your property. This is your responsibility, inside your boundary.
- Lateral drain — the section of your drain that runs outside your boundary (for example, under the pavement or road) before it reaches the public sewer. Since 1 October 2011 most lateral drains transferred to the water company.
- Sewer — a pipe that serves more than one property. Most private sewers also transferred to water companies in 2011 and are now Southern Water's responsibility.
What changed in 2011?
Before October 2011, shared private sewers and lateral drains were the joint responsibility of the homeowners connected to them — which caused endless disputes. On 1 October 2011, ownership of most of those shared and lateral drains in England and Wales was transferred to the regional water and sewerage companies. In Sussex that is Southern Water. The practical effect: if the blockage is in a pipe shared with your neighbours, or beyond your boundary, it's usually no longer your bill.
Am I responsible if the blockage is on my property?
Yes — a blockage in the drain that serves only your home, within your boundary, is the property owner's responsibility. That includes the gully outside your kitchen, the soil pipe from your toilet, and the drain run across your own garden. This is the everyday blocked drain we clear for homeowners across Brighton and Sussex: sinks, toilets, outside gullies and single-property drains.
When is it Southern Water's responsibility?
Contact Southern Water (they can inspect and clear it, often free to you) when:
- The blockage is in a public sewer.
- The pipe is shared with other properties (a shared/private sewer that transferred in 2011).
- The problem is in the lateral drain beyond your boundary.
- Several homes in your street are affected at once — a strong sign it's a shared or public pipe.
If you're not sure whose pipe it is, Southern Water can tell you, and it's worth checking before you pay for private work on a pipe that isn't yours.
What about rented properties?
If you rent, report a blocked drain to your landlord or letting agent first — clearing blockages within the property is normally the landlord's responsibility, unless the tenancy agreement says the blockage was caused by misuse (wipes, fat, foreign objects).
Still not sure? We'll tell you honestly
Working out whose drain it is can be confusing, especially with older shared Victorian drainage common across Brighton, Hove and Sussex terraces. If you call 07459 599505, we'll help you work out whether it's your drain or one for Southern Water — and if it's yours, we can clear it there and then. We only take on blocked-drain clearance that's genuinely your responsibility; we won't charge you to clear a pipe that Southern Water should be dealing with for free.
Need a blocked drain cleared now? Call 07459 599505 — 24/7 across East Sussex and West Sussex, or see our main blocked drain clearance page.
This guide is general information for Sussex, England. For the definitive position on a specific pipe, confirm with Southern Water.