Blocked drain clearance, CCTV surveys and drain repairs across 10 West Midlands towns. 24/7 emergency response, fixed upfront pricing.
Call 07824 757572Region-specific guidance on water suppliers, responsibility, building regulations and drain ownership — sourced from Ofwat, Defra, the Planning Portal and Severn Trent Water.
Severn Trent Water is the water and sewerage undertaker for West Midlands, regulated by Ofwat (the economic regulator), the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) for water quality and Defra for policy.
Their main customer line is 0800 783 4444. The area around Walsall and parts of west Birmingham are served by South Staffs Water for water supply only — sewerage stays with Severn Trent across the whole West Midlands. Check the Ofwat boundary map for the exact split at your postcode.
Source: dwi.gov.uk
Most of the West Midlands is served by Severn Trent Water for sewerage (regulated by Ofwat under the Water Industry Act 1991), with the area around Walsall, Wednesbury and parts of west Birmingham covered by South Staffs Water for water supply — sewerage in those streets still sits with Severn Trent.
Severn Trent maintains public sewers and lateral drains beyond the property boundary; everything inside is the homeowner's or landlord's responsibility. Citizens Advice publishes the canonical consumer-facing summary of who owns what.
Source: citizensadvice.org.uk
Drain repairs in the West Midlands must comply with Building Regulations Approved Document Part H, enforced locally by Building Control at the relevant council (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall or Wolverhampton).
Related services: drain repair services
A like-for-like patch is usually exempt, but a building notice is needed if you're re-routing a drain, replacing a long section, or altering the connection into a public sewer. The region's dense Victorian and inter-war terraces often share private drains running between properties, so always check ownership with your local council building control before work starts.
Source: planningportal.co.uk
Very common — the West Midlands carries the largest concentration of post-war social housing of any English region outside London.
Related services: drain repairs · CCTV drain survey
The high-density slum-clearance estates built between 1955 and 1975 (Castle Vale, Chelmsley Wood, Druids Heath, Tile Cross, large parts of Wolverhampton's outer wards and Dudley's borough overspill) used pitch fibre as the standard underground drainage material throughout that period. Where one property on an estate has it, the neighbours almost always do too. The diagnostic giveaway is repeat blockages weeks after a jetting clear: the bitumen-and-fibre pipe has gone oval and stopped self-cleansing. A CCTV survey gives a same-day answer; lining is the standard fix, with excavation reserved for collapsed sections.
Source: sava.co.uk
Read more on our blog: /blog/do-you-have-pitch-fibre-pipes/
Severn Trent requires permission before constructing over or close to a public sewer — either a self-certification (for projects meeting their standard criteria) or a formal build-over agreement.
Related services: CCTV drain survey
Apply through Severn Trent's Build Over team before excavation; once the application and payment have been received they aim to respond within 10 working days. The West Midlands' Victorian sewer network is extensive and often poorly mapped under post-war infill development, so a CCTV pre-survey is usually advisable. Skipping the agreement risks demolition costs if Severn Trent later needs sewer access.
Source: stwater.co.uk
Last verified 25 May 2026.
The customer reported a blocked external gully that was not draining correctly.
The gully was successfully cleared.
A residential drain in Walsall, West Midlands (WS1 area) became blocked due to heavy fat and grease deposits, causing wastewater to back up.
The drain was successfully cleared and wastewater is now flowing freely with no further signs of backing up or standing water.
Customer reported a blocked sink waste discharging into an external gully outside the property.
Sink waste now free-flowing with no sign of backup.
An external gully was blocked, preventing surface and foul water from draining away correctly.
The blockage was successfully cleared and the gully was left free-flowing at the time of attendance.
A property in Bilston (WV14) was affected by a severe internal blockage, with foul wastewater unable to clear from the system and a high risk of internal flooding and hygiene issues.
Discharge through the system was improved following clearance, but the drain remains at high risk of further failure until the suspected structural defect is fully investigated and repaired.
The drainage system was blocked, preventing normal flow and causing operational issues on site.
The immediate blockage was successfully cleared and the drain was left free-flowing.