Private sewers
Approximately 200,000 kilometres of privately owned sewers and lateral drains in England will be transferred to water and sewerage companies from 1 October 2011. This transfer will help to address many of the problems associated with these sewers.
After a number of consultations the Labour Government announced that approximately 200,000 kilometres of privately owned sewers and lateral drains in England would be transferred to water and sewerage companies from 2011. It also announced the introduction of a mandatory build standard for new sewers, and that new sewers would automatically become the responsibility of water and sewer companies.
TThe Coalition Government will transfer private sewers on 1 October 2011. Private sewer owners do not need to take any action to make the transfer happen.