A drain emergency can strike at any time, often at the worst moment. It might be sewage backing up, a blocked drain causing a flood, or a collapsed pipe. Knowing what to do in the first few minutes can cut the damage to your property.
Recognising a Drain Emergency
Not every drain problem is an emergency. However, these situations need action straight away:
- Sewage backing up into your property
- Water flooding from drains
- Multiple drains blocked at the same time
- A strong sewage smell inside your home
- Visible sewage in your garden or driveway
Immediate Steps to Take
1. Stop Using Water
Stop all water use as soon as you see a serious problem, because every extra drop makes it worse. Then follow these steps:
- Don’t flush toilets
- Don’t run taps or showers
- Don’t use the washing machine or dishwasher
- Turn off any appliances that drain water
2. Protect Your Property
While you wait for help, protect what you can. If water or sewage is entering your home, do the following:
- Move furniture and valuables away from affected areas
- Roll up rugs and carpets if possible
- Use towels or sandbags to create barriers
- Open windows to ventilate the area, because sewage gases can be harmful
3. Turn Off Water Supply
If water keeps flowing and you cannot stop it, find your stopcock. It usually sits under the kitchen sink or in a kitchen cupboard. Turn it off, because that cuts the main water supply to your property. For a pipe that has split, our burst pipe repair page and the guide to the first ten minutes of a burst pipe explain more.
4. Avoid Contaminated Areas
Keep children and pets away from affected areas because sewage contains harmful bacteria. If you must enter a flooded area, follow these rules:
- Wear rubber boots and gloves
- Avoid touching your face
- Wash thoroughly afterwards
- Don’t eat or drink in the contaminated area
5. Document the Damage
Notes help with insurance claims, since they show what happened and when. Once you have limited the damage, record the details:
- Take photos and videos of affected areas
- Note the time the problem started
- Record any damage to belongings
- Keep this information for insurance claims
What NOT to Do
Don’t Use Chemical Drain Cleaners
In an emergency, chemicals will not help because these products suit minor blockages, not major problems. They could also make things worse.
Don’t Try to Access the Sewer
Never try to open or clear a sewer yourself, because it is dangerous. Since 1 October 2011, most private sewers and lateral drains outside your property boundary have been the responsibility of the sewerage company (Anglian Water in this area). Report problems there to the water company. Drains serving only your property within its boundary are generally your responsibility, and our guide on who is responsible for a blocked drain explains the split.
Don’t Ignore the Problem
Some people hope a drain problem will clear by itself. However, it will not clear on its own. Delay allows more damage to build up.
While Waiting for Help
While you wait for help, a few small jobs can make the visit easier. Try these steps:
- Clear access to manholes and inspection chambers
- Make note of where water is entering or backing up
- Check whether neighbours have similar problems, which might point to a shared sewer issue
- Keep your phone charged in case the engineer needs to reach you
Requesting Emergency Help
Our online form asks for a few details because they help us understand the problem. Have these ready:
- Your address and postcode
- What symptoms you see
- When the problem started
- Whether it affects multiple properties
- Which fixtures are affected
Use our 24/7 online enquiry form to report emergency drain problems in Colchester. We also cover drain emergencies in West Mersea and drain emergencies in Wivenhoe. See our emergency drain services and our emergency plumber page for more.
Whether you face a flooding emergency or a sewage emergency, specialist methods can help find and fix the cause. Specifically, these include CCTV cameras and high-pressure jetting. Request urgent help online if you are dealing with a drain emergency.
To learn more first, read the warning signs of a blocked drain. Our comparison of drain jetting and drain rods also helps, because it shows how blockages get cleared. To stop repeat blockages, see how to prevent blocked kitchen drains. For a toilet that bubbles, see why a toilet bubbles when the shower backs up.
