Quick answer
The CON29DW drainage and water search tells you who is responsible for each length of pipe. It works from records and maps. It does not show the pipe's condition, and it may not show how many homes share a run. A camera survey fills that gap, so book one before you exchange contracts.
What the CON29DW search covers
The drainage and water enquiry is a standard part of conveyancing. It is useful since it draws on the water company's records. It typically covers the sewer connection, mapped sewer positions near the building and billing.
Every answer comes from a map or a database. Nobody has put a camera in the ground at your address. The search is therefore a record of ownership and connection, not a report on condition. Your conveyancer can tell you what your search includes, while a survey covers the rest.
Public sewer, lateral drain or private drain
Three terms decide who pays when something goes wrong, and buyers often mix them up.
- Private drain: pipe inside the boundary that serves only your property, which you maintain
- Lateral drain: the length of your drain beyond the boundary, up to the public sewer
- Public sewer: pipe that serves more than one property
On 1 October 2011, private sewers and lateral drains connected to public sewers passed to the water companies. Drains inside one property boundary stayed with the owner. Defra's private sewers transfer guidance sets this out, so read it if you want the detail.
Chelmsford City Council says Anglian Water handles sewers in the Chelmsford area. It also says you are responsible for the drain serving your own property. Check the company for your postcode before you rely on this, since areas differ.
The practical result is simple. A fault in one section may be someone else's bill, yet a fault three metres further along may be yours. Knowing which is which before you commit is worth more than a line saying the drains are on the mains.
Why shared runs are common in older streets
Many older terraces were built with one drain run for a whole row. That arrangement can still exist under gardens today. It matters for two reasons.
First, a blockage in a shared run can affect several households at once. Second, clearing or repairing it may need talks with neighbours and the water company. You cannot simply give an instruction, since others share the pipe.
Sharing is not a fault, and it is no reason to pull out of a purchase. It is a fact to establish. Check it from the mapped records and from a camera, so you do not find out when the run backs up.
New estates
Newer estates often give each property its own connection, which avoids the shared run question. They raise a different one, however. On some new estates the sewers may not yet belong to the water company, since adoption can take time.
Ask who maintains the estate's drainage and whether adoption is complete. That decides who you would deal with if something needed fixing in your first years. Read our guide to drainage checks for new-build and period homes for more.
Extensions and building over sewers
Building Regulations Part H covers drainage, including building over sewers (Approved Document H, gov.uk). If work sits over or close to a public sewer, the water company usually needs to agree first. Water companies run build-over agreement processes for this, since a dig can harm the sewer.
Owners have extended many homes over the years, and older extensions did not always get careful handling. If a previous owner built over a shared run without agreement, the problems land on the next owner. Ask about it during conveyancing. Then use a survey to see where the run passes under the building.
What a camera adds
A pre-purchase CCTV drain survey answers two questions that a search leaves open. First, it shows the physical state and the fall of the pipe, which no map can. Second, it shows where the run goes and what joins it.
That includes whether your home picks up a neighbour's flow before the boundary. Mapped records can be wrong, so ask the water company what applies. The camera and the search work together. One gives the legal position, while the other gives the physical one.
MyJobQuote gives an average survey of about £250, and Survey Match gives £200 to £350 plus VAT for a 2 to 3 bed home. Ask for a written quote before work starts, since scope varies.
Pages for buyers
- CCTV drain surveys in Chelmsford
- CCTV drain surveys in Brentwood
- Drain repairs in Chelmsford
- Chelmsford area page
- All CCTV drain survey options
Frequently asked questions
Does the CON29DW search show if the drains are damaged?
No. It reports records of connections and sewer positions. Pipe condition sits outside its scope, which is why a CCTV drain survey is a separate step.
Who clears a blocked shared drain?
It depends where the blockage sits. A shared run that passed to public ownership in 2011 generally belongs to the water company, while the private section serving only your property remains yours.
Can I find out how many homes share my drain before I buy?
The mapped records give part of the answer. A camera survey through the chambers usually shows the rest, when you can see where other flows join.
Does any of this apply on a new estate?
Yes, although the questions change. Shared runs are less likely, but adoption status, build quality and the fall of the new pipe are worth checking.
When should I do this?
Do it before you exchange, alongside your other searches. After exchange you still get the facts, yet you have little room left to act on them.