Building over / close to public sewers – New Buildings and Extensions

Do I need Severn Trent Water’s permission to build on my property? Severn Trent Water is responsible for public sewers within its area and many public sewers cross private land.  We have to ensure that no development is carried out which may damage a public sewer, cause risk of flooding or restrict future access for maintenance. Wherever possible we prefer to avoid the need to build over or close to a sewer by repositioning the proposed development or diverting the sewer. "Close to" is normally defined as being within 3 metres of the sewer.

However, in some cases where the risk to the public sewer is small or can be reduced to acceptable levels and where diversion is not possible, Severn Trent may be willing to allow building over or close to a sewer.

Building close to or over a public sewer without having obtained our formal approval is illegal and it may also jeopardise the future sale of your property.

How do I know if I am building close to or over a public sewer?
 
If you are unsure whether your building works affect a public sewer you can find out by calling the relevant office number, as detailed below:

Please note, these numbers are not for any other customer enquiries.  Our customers should visit the Contact Us section for a list of relevant contact numbers.