Blocked Sewer in Coventry

How to Recognise a Sewer Blockage

The key sign of a sewer blockage rather than a single drain blockage is that multiple fixtures are affected simultaneously. Watch for:

• The toilet water level rising or the toilet gurgling when you run a bath or shower
• The kitchen sink backing up when the washing machine drains
• Sewage smell from outside inspection chambers or manholes
• Water rising in — or overflowing from — a manhole cover in the garden
• Sewage surfacing in the garden (treat this as urgent)

If only one fixture is affected, the blockage is most likely in that fixture's individual drain. See our emergency drain service for same-day clearing of individual drains.

Common Causes in Coventry

Accumulated fat, wet wipes and solid waste in the shared drain runs that serve multiple terraced properties is the single most common cause. Coventry's Victorian and Edwardian terrace streets — in Foleshill, Hillfields, and parts of the city centre — share sewer runs beneath narrow back entries and yards. These pipes were built before the widespread use of kitchen disposals and flushable products, and they accumulate debris at junctions.

Root ingress into ageing clay sewer runs is the second major cause. Tree roots seek water, find it at sewer pipe joints, and grow into the pipe. In streets with mature tree cover this can cause repeated partial blockages that are difficult to clear without both jetting and a CCTV inspection to understand the scale of ingress. Collapse or offset joints in post-war sewer runs are increasingly common as that infrastructure ages — sections of pitch-fibre and early plastic sewer pipe installed in the 1950s to 1980s are now reaching the end of their service life.

Our Process

We start with a CCTV camera inspection to locate the blockage, identify its cause, and — importantly — establish which section of pipe is affected. We then use high-pressure jetting to clear the blockage. After clearing, we run the camera again to confirm full clearance and check for structural damage that may have caused the problem or been worsened by it.

If structural damage is found — a collapsed section, offset joint, or significant root intrusion — we advise on repair options. Where the damage is in the shared adopted sewer, we provide the documentation you need to report it to Severn Trent. See our sewer repair service for structural repairs on private sections.

Private Drain vs Severn Trent Responsibility

Since 2011, Severn Trent (as Coventry's sewerage undertaker) took on responsibility for shared private sewers — pipes that serve more than one property. If the blockage or damage is in the section of pipe that Severn Trent has adopted, the cost of repair is theirs, not yours.

The boundary is typically at the first shared junction — the point where your private drain from your property connects to a pipe that also serves your neighbours. Before we recommend any repair work, we identify this boundary from the CCTV survey so you're not spending money on Severn Trent's pipe.