Private drains

If you need to get a drain cleared the council has a 24 hour call out service that does a wide range of work. This service is available for both household and commercial drains.

If you are not sure who is responsible for a private drain in your area contact us on the York Pride Action line.

Where there is dispute about ownership and responsibility, but a public health risk exists, the Street Environment Service can carry out drainage investigations and have the power to take action to ensure that works are completed by all those who are responsible for the upkeep of the drainage system. This can include below ground drains and sewers which are blocked, defective or broken and above ground drainage such as missing or defective guttering and down pipes.

Where private owners fail to carry out repairs, the authority can carry out the works in default on behalf of the owners, and recover the costs incurred.

Public sewers

Sewerage services in the area are managed by Yorkshire Water. For blocked sewers, or other sewerage problems on public streets and highways, tel: 0845 1 24 24 29

Land drainage

The law governing land drainage is complex, with statutory responsibilities split between several organisations of which the council is one. Other authorities with land drainage and flood risk management responsibilities are Internal Drainage Boards and the Environment Agency. All of these authorities have permissive powers over ordinary watercourses, which includes approval of proposed works and requiring landowners to undertake maintenance works to watercourses to prevent nuisance. Responsibility for the upkeep of ordinary watercourses usually falls to landowners as riparian owners.

The Environment Agency is responsible for main rivers; the Ouse, Foss and Derwent, and also critical ordinary watercourses which are those which have the potential to cause property flooding. These are Bur Dike, Tang Hall Beck, Osbaldwick Beck, Holgate Beck and Blue Beck.

Waterlogged gardens

Waterlogged gardens are a common problem in the York area due to clay soil. Remedies for this are often limited and the responsibility of the property owner. Some advice can be downloaded from the Environment Agency website - Flooding in Gardens.

If you need advice on land drainage contact us on the York Pride Action Line.