Drain and Sewer Definitions

Before diving into ownership and maintenance responsibilities, let’s define some key terms:

• Drain: A pipe that serves the purpose of draining water and waste from a building and any associated structures (e.g., garages). Maintenance responsibility is with the property owner until it leaves their property boundary or connects to another property’s drain.

• Lateral Drain: A pipe that carries wastewater from a property boundary to a sewer, usually located outside the property boundaries, or at the point where two property drains connect, often beneath a public pavement or road. In some cases, a lateral drain may run beneath a private property if it shares a drain with a neighbour. This would be the responsibility of the local water company.

• Sewer: A network of pipes that collects water and waste from multiple drains and various buildings, most often operated and maintained by water companies. Responsibility for maintenance would be with the local water company.

Some properties are not connected to a sewer but rely on alternative systems like cesspools, septic tanks, or treatment plants for wastewater disposal. In these cases, the property owners are not required to pay sewerage charges to a sewerage company (water company), and the pipework connections are defined as drains. The owners of these systems are generally responsible for maintenance.