Sewer blockages · Covent Garden & Central London
Sewer blockages in Covent Garden
When a sewer blocks, every property on the run feels it, and the risk of sewage flooding a basement is real. We clear blocked sewers and overflowing manholes with high-pressure jetting, 24 hours a day, and tell you whose responsibility the pipe is.
The short answer
What is a sewer blockage?
A sewer blockage is an obstruction in the larger pipe that collects waste from more than one property. Common causes are fat and wet wipes forming solid masses, silt, root ingress and structural defects. Because sewers carry more flow, a blockage backs up quickly and can flood the lowest fittings, often in basements.
Signs you need us
- Several properties or flats affected at once
- Sewage rising in a manhole or basement fitting
- The lowest toilet or floor drain backing up first
- Strong sewer smells in the street or a light well
- Gurgling from every fitting when water runs elsewhere
Why choose us
What you can expect from us
Heavy-duty jetting
Van-mounted jetting equipment for the larger pipes and tougher blockages sewers bring.
24/7 response
A sewer backing up won’t wait, so neither do we.
Responsibility explained
We tell you whether the pipe is yours, shared, or the water company’s.
Clean finish
We clear, flush and leave the area clean and safe.
Our process
How we do it, step by step
- 1
Assess
We check manholes up and downstream to find where the sewer is blocked.
- 2
Make safe
We stop fittings being used and contain any spill.
- 3
Jet
High-pressure jetting breaks up and flushes away the blockage.
- 4
Inspect
A CCTV check if the cause isn’t clear, so we can stop it recurring.
FAQs
Sewer blockages: your questions answered
Is a blocked sewer my responsibility?
Usually not, if it’s shared. Since October 2011, most sewers serving more than one property, and lateral drains outside your boundary, belong to the water company, which is Thames Water in Central London. Pipes serving only your property within your boundary are yours. We can establish where the blockage is before you pay for anything.
What should I do if sewage is backing up into my basement?
Stop using toilets, sinks and washing machines in the building, keep people and pets away from the water, and switch off electrics near the flooding if it’s safe to do so. Then call us on 020 3670 7648. Don’t try to clear sewage without gloves and eye protection; it carries bacteria.
How do you clear a blocked sewer?
We locate the blockage between manholes, then use high-pressure water jetting to break it up and flush it down the line. Jetting also scours fat and scale off the pipe wall. If the blockage keeps returning, we run a CCTV camera through to check for roots, damage or a defect causing it.
Why do sewers block so often in the West End?
Central London has a lot of restaurants, cafés and bars, and much of the sewer network is Victorian. Fat, oil and grease poured down kitchen sinks sets hard in cold pipes and binds with wet wipes into solid masses. Old brick and clay pipes also crack and let roots in.
Reviews
What our customers say
Fantastic experience from start to finish. The work was tidy and done with minimal disruption. Very professional from the first call to the finish.
Had a great service
Happy customer
Sewer blockages across Central London
Based at 24 James St, London WC2E 8NS, we cover:
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Open 24 hours · 7 days a week
Need help with sewer blockages now?
Free quotes, the price agreed before we start, and we don’t leave until it’s working. Based on James Street, Covent Garden.