Emergency Drainage Services

1. 1

   Stop using water: no flushing, showers, baths, washing machines or dishwashers. Every litre you use adds to the overflow. In a block of flats or a terrace with shared drains, tell your neighbours too.

2. 2

   Keep away from electrics: if dirty water is near sockets, appliances or the consumer unit, switch off at the consumer unit only if it is dry and safe to reach. If not, keep clear and see our emergency electrical services.

3. 3

   Keep people and pets away from the affected area, especially children, older people and anyone unwell.

4. 4

   Do not touch sewage without protection: wear rubber gloves and boots if you must move things, and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

5. 5

   Lift an outside chamber cover if it is safe to do so. This helps show where the blockage is (see below).

6. 6

   Take photos and videos of the overflow and any damage for your insurer.

7. 7

   Call us and send the photos or a video on WhatsApp, so the engineer knows what to bring.

The first question is whether the blockage is in your drain or in a pipe the sewerage company looks after. In London, the sewerage company is usually Thames Water.

• Lift the inspection chamber covers, starting nearest the house and working towards the road. If the last chamber on your property is empty, the blockage is on your side, in your private drain: call us.
• If the last chamber is full, the blockage may be in the lateral drain, a shared drain or the public sewer, which are the sewerage company's responsibility. This is more likely if neighbours have the same problem, or if it happens during heavy rain.
• If sewage from the public sewer has flooded inside your home, report it to the sewerage company as well, as they need to know.

If you are not sure, call us. When we find that the blockage is in the public sewer or a lateral drain, we tell you straight away and give you the details to report it. Our drainage hub page explains who is responsible for each part of the drains in more detail.

If the house has only one toilet, a blocked toilet that cannot be used counts as urgent, especially with children, older people or anyone unwell at home.

Sewage carries bacteria and viruses that can cause stomach upsets and infections. Once the drain is cleared:

• Wear gloves and boots while cleaning, and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and before eating.
• Throw away food, and anything children put in their mouths, that sewage has touched.
• Remove soaked items: Carpets, underlay and soft furnishings that sewage has soaked into usually cannot be cleaned safely, but check with your insurer before you throw them away.
• Clean hard surfaces with hot, soapy water, then a household disinfectant, and let the area dry with good ventilation.
• Do not use a household vacuum cleaner on wet, contaminated areas.

Plasterboard, skirting boards and flooring that have soaked up dirty water may need replacing. Because we are also builders and decorators, we can carry out those repairs once the area has dried out, including plaster patch repair and painting.

1. 1

   Make safe: check for risks from electrics and contamination, and protect the area we work in.

2. 2

   Find the blockage: lift the chamber covers to locate it, and confirm whether it is in your drain or the sewerage company's pipe.

3. 3

   Clear it: with drain rods, a drain machine or drain jetting, depending on what the blockage is and where it sits.

4. 4

   Check the flow: run water through each chamber to confirm the drain is running freely.

5. 5

   Find the cause: if there are signs of damage, such as roots, broken pipe or a blockage that returns, we recommend a CCTV drain survey once the emergency is over.

6. 6

   Report: we give you a written note of what we found and did, for your insurer.

If the drain is cracked, displaced or collapsed, we explain the options, from drain repairs and lining to replacing the damaged section.