Drainage and sewerage issues

The Council has statutory powers to require drains and private sewers to be cleared and if necessary can enforce the required work at the expense of the owner. It is always preferable for residents to resolve drainage matters themselves as referring investigations to Environmental Health will incur additional administration costs.

Environmental Health staff will determine the extent of the problem, the number of properties involved, the action required to resolve the problem, and who is responsible. This usually results in either informal or formal action being taken.

Problems relating to public sewers should be handled by Anglian Water who are responsible for maintaining the sewers in this area.

Land Drainage: Riparian Ownership

Rivers, streams and ditches are the responsibility of the 'riparian' landowners who own land on either bank.

If your property is next to a watercourse of any description, you are a riparian owner and should be maintaining it regularly. This will have the benefit of reducing the risk of flooding from the watercourse at times of wet weather for both you and your neighbours.