Drains in Leeds range from new plastic pipes to old clay ones. A new flat may have a modern system built for high use, while an older house may have pipes laid long ago. Between them sit semis, post-war estates and converted mills, each with its own pipework.
This guide explains who is responsible for what. It covers the common faults, the main services and what to ask a drainage company. Use it to decide your next step, because the right first move saves time.
Yorkshire Water and Who Is Responsible
Yorkshire Water looks after the public sewers, while your own drains are your job. Its guide says that if neighbours have the same problem, the blockage is probably in its sewers. If only one room has the problem, the blockage is almost certainly in your own pipes. If you are unsure, ask Yorkshire Water. You can read this on the Yorkshire Water blocked drains page.
Leeds City Council gives similar advice on its drains and gullies page. It says homeowners are responsible for drains that serve their property within the boundary. Yorkshire Water covers shared sewers outside the boundary, while the council cleans the gullies on the public highway.
In October 2011, many private sewers and lateral drains passed to the water companies. However, the details depend on where the pipe runs. Ask Yorkshire Water to confirm who owns a particular pipe. A CCTV drain survey can also show where the fault sits.
Common Drain Problems
Older Clay Pipes
Many older homes have clay drains. Clay can crack as the ground settles over many years. The joints can also wear, which leaves gaps because the old seals break down. Tree roots and groundwater can then get in.
Once roots enter a pipe, they keep growing towards the water. They fill more of the pipe each year. As a result, blockages come back again and again.
Tree Root Intrusion
Tree roots are a common cause of repeat blockages, because they seek out water. A worn joint gives them a way in. Homes near mature trees face the highest risk, for example in Roundhay or Headingley.
Roots cause a slow blockage and not a sudden one. You may see slow drains for months before the pipe blocks fully. Jetting can cut the roots and restore flow, yet roots grow back. Pipe relining can seal the pipe against new roots.
Heavy Rain and Flood Risk
In some older areas, one pipe carries both foul and surface water. In heavy rain the pipe can fill, and water may back up through low drains. Basements and ground-level drains face the highest risk, because they sit lowest.
If water has come back up in a storm, keep gullies clear and ask an engineer to check the pipe. Some homes also fit a device that stops water flowing back. Ask a drainage engineer whether one suits your home.
Shared Drains
Terraced streets often have shared drains. A pipe may run under a back lane and serve several homes. When it blocks, every home on that run can feel it.
Who must repair a shared pipe can be unclear. It depends on who owns it, so check with Yorkshire Water first. Talk to your neighbours, because a problem on a shared run often affects them too.
Grease in Commercial Kitchens
Food businesses put a lot of fat, oil and grease into their drains. Grease traps help, but they need regular cleaning because fat builds up fast. When a trap fails, fat can block the drains and affect nearby properties.
Types of Drain Services
Drain Unblocking
Unblocking is the most common job. It covers a blocked sink, a blocked toilet or an outside drain. An engineer may use rods, or high-pressure water jetting. Rods push a blockage along, while jetting washes it out. As a result, the pipe is clean and not only clear.
CCTV Drain Surveys
A CCTV drain survey sends a camera along the pipe. The footage can show blockages, roots, cracks and displaced joints. Surveys help with repeat blockages and with pre-purchase checks. They also help plan any repair, since the footage shows the damage.
Drain Repairs
If a survey finds damage, repair options range from a small patch to a full replacement. Pipe relining puts a resin liner inside the old pipe and cures it in place. It suits cracked or root-damaged pipes, because digging would cause a mess.
Emergency Drain Services
Emergency drain services cover sewage backup, flooding and several blockages at once. The request form takes requests 24/7, so you can send details at any hour. Ask each company what they can offer and when, since response times differ.
How to Choose a Drainage Company
Many companies work in the area. A few questions help you choose well, because the answers show how a company works:
- Ask for a written quote before work starts. Be careful if a company will not give one.
- Ask whether there is a call-out charge, and what it covers.
- Ask what equipment they use. Jetting gear and a camera help with anything beyond a minor blockage.
- Ask about insurance, and ask for proof.
- Ask what guarantee they offer on repair work.
- Read reviews that describe a real job in detail.
Be wary of a company that begins work before it gives a price. A vague answer can mean the bill grows once work is under way. A clear answer gives you a fair basis to compare companies, because you can see what each one includes.
DIY or Professional Drain Clearing?
For a minor slow drain, you can try a few things first. A plunger works on sinks and toilets. Hot water can shift light grease. Bicarbonate of soda and vinegar can help with early build-up.
These methods have limits, however. They cannot clear a deep blockage. They do not remove roots, and they do not clean the pipe walls. If the problem is still there after a couple of days, or if it returns, call an engineer.
Avoid chemical cleaners as a first step, because they can harm older pipes. They are also hazardous to handle. They also rarely fix the real cause. Our guide to unblocking a toilet shows safer steps.
Drain Care for Leeds Homes
A little care can cut the number of blockages. If you have mature trees nearby, a camera check can show early root growth. Catching roots early costs less than waiting for a full blockage, because repairs get bigger over time.
Landlords of shared houses can plan a clean between tenancies. A busy house puts more load on the drains, since several people share one system. For a first step, read about drain jetting.
Food businesses should keep grease traps clean and check them often. Homes near streams should keep gullies clear, since heavy rain can overload them. Our guide to outside drain blockages covers the steps.
Getting Drain Help Across Leeds
You can ask for help in Leeds and the nearby towns. Pick the page for your area below, because each one explains the services you can request there. The contact form takes requests 24/7, for planned jobs and urgent ones.
- Drainage in Leeds
- Drainage in Headingley
- Drainage in Roundhay
- Drainage in Horsforth
- Drainage in Morley
- Drainage in Pudsey
- Drainage in Otley
- Drainage in Wetherby
- Drainage in Garforth
- Drainage in Rothwell
These pages cover repairs and surveys in more detail. Use them if your problem is more than a simple blockage: