Connecting to Mains Sewer 

Getting services to a development can be an expensive business. There are two ways in which you can connect to a "public" sewer, either directly or indirectly. Below we explain the differences.

Directly Connecting to Mains Sewer

Sewers managed and or owned by water companies such as Thames Water, are referred to as adopted sewers, they are built to a far more stringent standard, when compared to non adopted sewers.

You cannot connect directly to an adopted sewer without some form of oversight from the Sewer Company, and in some cases you will have to use one of their approved contractors.

A sewer is within you property boundary can be adopted, the easiest way to check this is to order an asset map from you local sewage undertaker. If the sewer on you land is marked as one of there assets then you know it is adopted.

Indirectly Connecting to a Mains Sewer

However, if you were to connect indirectly you could potentially involve the work involved in altering adopted sewers.

By connecting to a private drain or lateral drain you would be subject to building regulations, but could avoid more stringent requirements and expense of connecting direct to adopted sewer.

This is particularly suitable to circumstances where private drains and proposed connection are under the same ownerships, or in some cases where a new development replaces an old one, which uses lateral drain.