What do I do if I think the blockage is in the public sewer?

If you think the public sewer is blocked, which is usually situated in the middle of the road or back street a simple way to check is to see if properties on the other side of the road are blocked. If this is the case as they do not share your private drainage it is likely it is a blockage within the public sewer and should be reported to Northumbrian Water Ltd who are responsible for maintaining public sewers and can be contacted on 0845 7171100 or via their website.

In addition to the public sewer located in the road, if your property was built before 1937 and there is more than one property connected to the public sewer, this may also fall under the responsibility of Northumbrian Water. You should query this with Northumbrian Water first, or we can help with advice and information.