Action on sewers could be on way

In January, Audlem Online raised the question of who owned the sewers after a blockage in Moorsfield Avenue. A call to United Utilities by worried householders elicited the answer "Not ours Guv", or words to that effect.

After some legal documents were found dating back to the adoption of the road by the then council, it became clear there was a widespread problem. Roads had been adopted but, contrary to what was once normal practice, sewers had not been.

Faced with the documents, United Utilities soon adopted the Moorsfield Avenue sewers but, it was soon discovered, this problem of non-adoption affected millions of homes including many in Audlem, particularly on newer estates.

ActionIt now appears, as we suggested in earlier reports, that national action is coming soon. While all sewers pre-1937 are already the responsibility of the local water company, since then that is not necessarily the case.

It's estimated there's over 100,000 miles of private sewers and lateral drains in England and Wales. There's confusion over ownership and liability with whole streets finding they have joint ownership. If there's a problem affecting part of a sewer, who pays, and what happens if some won't or can't pay?

Fortunately, regulations were laid before Parliament on 26th April which, if passed, will come into effect at the beginning of July. From 1st October this year, it's proposed that the majority of sewers and lateral drains will automatically transfer into the public ownership of the water company, United Utilities.

While it might be pushing the argument a trifle too far to suggest that a problem in January this year in Moorsfield Avenue, Audlem has led seamlessly to a national solution, publicity on this issue had been virtually non-existent until then. Governments had been considering the problem but did little except consult.

Now, households should be notified by letters and advertisements in the local press in July and August of the change, which should be good news for homeowners as their potential liability for sewer repairs will be reduced.

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