Sewer Adoption in Colchester & Essex

It’s common practice for the local water authority to adopt a sewer or pumping station that has been installed as part of a new development.

Our drainage engineers can guide you through the site drain adoption process to bring you to the sign-off stage as quickly as possible. We will make sure all relevant paperwork is completed correctly and there are no issues with the design, layout or structure of the sewerage system that could adversely affect your application.

We also work on behalf of water companies to ensure their new adoptions are in satisfactory condition and comply with the relevant industry codes.

New sewer adoptions

If you are looking to offload a newly built sewer, you’ll need to follow Section 104 of the Water Industry Act 1991. Ideally, you should get your local water authority to sign the adoption agreement before you start construction.

Existing sewer adoptions

If your private drain or sewer has been active for longer than 12 months, you will need to request adoption under Section 102 of this same Water Industry Act. You will also need to give two months’ notice to any parties who use or have an interest in the system.

Comprehensive service

When it comes to applying for a site drain adoption, we know how important it is to get things right first time. We’ll leave no stone unturned when we’re assessing your drains and will supply all our findings in both report and video format.

No hidden fees

At Ask Us Drains, we pride ourselves on our straightforward and transparent pricing policy. Once we have visited your site and assessed your requirements, we’ll let you know exactly how much our services are going to cost – and you’ll never have to pay for any unexpected extras.

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How sewer adoptions work

If you have recently built a new property or development, you won’t normally need to keep the drains and sewers that service it. All newly created sewer systems and pumping stations can be taken on by the water company that handles the drainage network in your particular area. As the person responsible for building it, you’ll need to pay to maintain the new sewer or pumping station until your application is approved – but once ownership has been transferred, the system will become the responsibility of their new appointee.

Private sewers and pumping stations normally need to meet strict quality standards before a sewer adoption request is granted. Our team will conduct a full survey that will highlight any existing issues, then carry out the remedial works needed to bring the site’s construction quality up to speed in preparation for the takeover.

The survey itself normally takes place during the final phase of the development, just before asphalt is laid on the connecting roads. Site footage from our CCTV cameras can be used to prove that everything is in order and no further improvements need to be made.

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Site Drain Adoption