Help with blocked and damaged drains

Blocked or damaged drain in Broxbourne and East Herts? Ask here.

Tell us about a blocked drain, a drain survey, a repair or a blocked toilet or sink. With your consent, we pass your enquiry to a local drainage engineer, if one covers your postcode.

  • One short form, whatever the drain problem
  • Passed to one local engineer, never a list
  • Free to ask, with no obligation to go ahead
Step 1 of 2: What do you need help with?
Is the work for a home or a business?

Free to enquire · No obligation

This is an enquiry service, not an emergency call-out.

How we handle your details

Inspection chambers

What can we help with?

  1. Blocked drain unblocking

    Water backing up, gurgling pipes or a smell near a gully or inspection chamber. Describe what is happening and we pass your enquiry to a local drainage engineer, if one covers your postcode.

    About blocked drain unblocking
  2. CCTV drain surveys

    A camera is sent along your drains to show cracks, blockages, roots and damage. Useful when you keep having problems, or before buying a house. We pass your enquiry to one local drainage engineer.

    About CCTV drain surveys
  3. Drain repairs

    Cracked, collapsed or leaking drains, and pipes damaged by roots or ground movement. Describe what has been found and we pass your enquiry to a local drainage engineer, if one covers your postcode.

    About drain repairs
  4. Blocked toilets and sinks

    A toilet that will not flush, a sink that will not empty, or a bath and shower draining slowly. Describe it and we pass your enquiry to a local drainage engineer, if one covers your postcode.

    About blocked toilets and sinks

Cut-away · from your drain to the right person

How it works

  1. Chamber 1 of 3

    Describe the problem.

    Choose the job, add your postcode and say in your own words what the drain or toilet is doing.

  2. Chamber 2 of 3

    We pass it on, with your consent.

    Your enquiry goes to one local drainage engineer, if one covers your postcode, and to nobody else.

  3. Chamber 3 of 3

    They get in touch.

    Talk it through directly, agree the work and the cost with them, and go ahead only if you are happy.

An open brick inspection chamber in a block-paved driveway, its ribbed cast-iron cover lifted to one side and a yellow drain camera reel feeding a cable down into it.
Survey view An inspection chamber opened for a camera survey. A survey records the inside of the pipe so the problem can be seen rather than guessed.

Useful to know before you enquire

Useful to know

None of this is needed to send an enquiry, but it helps the drainage engineer understand the problem sooner.

  • Which fittings are affected

    One sink or toilet, or several at once. When everything is slow or backing up, the problem is usually further down the drain rather than in a single fitting.

  • Where the water shows

    Inside the house, at an outside gully grate, or around a manhole cover in the garden or drive.

  • Whether the chamber is full

    If you have a manhole cover that lifts easily, a chamber full of water points to a blockage further down the run. Never climb into a chamber.

  • Who else the drain serves

    If it also takes water from next door, it may be a shared sewer, which in England and Wales is usually the water company's responsibility. Mention it either way.

Drainage plan · Broxbourne, East Herts and Waltham Abbey

Areas covered

Not listed? Send your enquiry anyway. We only pass it to a drainage engineer who covers your postcode, if there is one. More about the areas we cover.

Before you enquire

Questions

Is Broxbourne Drains a drainage company?

No. We are an independent enquiry service. We do not unblock, survey or repair drains ourselves. With your consent, we pass your enquiry to a local drainage engineer, if one covers your postcode, and they may pay us a fee for the introduction.

Who is responsible for a blocked drain at my home?

A drain that serves only your property, within your boundary, is usually yours to look after. Since October 2011, shared drains and the lateral drains beyond your boundary have generally belonged to the water company. Locally that is usually Thames Water, even if your water bill comes from Affinity Water. Your bill shows who handles your sewerage.

What if nobody covers my postcode?

We tell you, and we do not pass your details on to anyone.

Does it cost anything to send an enquiry?

No. Sending an enquiry is free and you are not committed to anything. Any work and its cost are agreed between you and the engineer.

Is sewage coming up in my home an emergency?

It is a health concern, so keep people and pets away from it and do not use the affected toilets or sinks. We are an enquiry service, not an emergency call-out line. If sewage is coming from a shared drain or the public sewer, report it to your sewerage company.

Can I get a drain survey before buying a house?

Yes. A CCTV drain survey records the inside of the pipes, so you can see their condition before you commit. Ask the seller for access, then send an enquiry here.

Tell us what is happening with your drains.

Ask about my drain
Ask about my drain