Defective Drains

If you believe drains are defective at any property or site, please contact the Building Control Team or use the General Enquiries Form.

We will be able to investigate this in accordance with the Building Act 1984, Section 59. Drainage and pipework are controlled by Part H of the Building Regulations. 

Details of Building Act 1984

The Building Control team has a duty to investigate allegations of defective drainage, particularly those that cause nuisance or public health concerns. 

What you should do

• Contact our Building Control team to inform us of your concerns and provide details of the issue.
• Inform the responsible person - If the issue is with a septic tank or cesspit, inform the responsible person(s) about the impact of the defective system.
• We encourage informal resolution of the issue first. 

Enforcement

We can enforce action under the Building Act 1984, Section 59, which allows us to require the owner or occupier to make satisfactory drainage provision or to carry out necessary repairs or renewals.