Sewer Repairs in Derby

Private Drain or Public Sewer — What Is the Difference?

The distinction matters because it determines who pays. Your property has:

• A private drain: The pipework that serves only your property, from the point where waste leaves your house to the point where it joins a shared pipe. This is your responsibility.
• A lateral drain: The section of drain that runs from your property boundary to the public sewer. Since October 2011 this is also the homeowner's responsibility — it was previously a grey area.
• A public sewer: The shared sewer that serves multiple properties. Severn Trent Water is responsible for maintaining and repairing public sewers in Derby and Derbyshire.

In practice, most homeowners who call us with a sewer problem have a fault in their private drain or lateral drain — which is their responsibility. If our CCTV survey shows the fault is in a public sewer, we will explain that and advise you to contact Severn Trent directly. We do not charge you for the survey if this turns out to be the case.

Common Sewer Faults We Repair

Root Ingress

Tree roots enter sewers through cracked joints and grow until they obstruct or completely block the pipe. Derby's older clay drainage — particularly in Normanton, Sinfin, Alvaston, and the Victorian terraces across the city — is more vulnerable because the socket-and-spigot joints are multiple entry points. Clearing the roots with a jetter cutter is the first step; relining the affected section permanently seals those entry points.

Cracks and Fractures

Clay pipes crack with age and ground movement. Derbyshire has clay-heavy subsoil that shrinks in dry summers and heaves in wet winters, creating cyclic stress on buried pipes. Hairline cracks can be sealed by relining; larger fractures or breaks may require excavation and replacement.

Displaced and Offset Joints

Ground movement shifts pipe joints out of alignment. A small displacement causes a partial obstruction and a root entry point. A larger offset can reduce flow significantly or trap debris. Relining bridges the joint and restores the full bore.

Sewer Collapse

A fully collapsed section of sewer has no structural integrity remaining. Relining is not possible — excavation is required. We confirm this on the CCTV survey before quoting.

Repair Options

After the CCTV survey we will recommend the most appropriate repair method:

• CIPP relining: For cracks, root ingress, and displaced joints where the pipe still holds its shape. No-dig, usually completed in a day.
• Patch repair: For a single localised fault — a resin patch bonded to the pipe wall at the defect location, inserted through the existing access point.
• Excavation and replacement: For collapsed sections or multiple failures along a short run where relining is uneconomical.

Sewage Surfacing — What to Do

Raw sewage appearing at ground level is a public health hazard. Restrict access to the area, do not let children or pets near it, and call us immediately. We will attend as a priority, confirm the cause with CCTV, and make the repair. The area will be cleaned and sanitised as part of the job.

Related services: Drain Relining · Collapsed Drain Repair · Blocked Sewer