The move will release householders from a liability most dont even realise they have until something goes wrong and they face a bill for fixing the problem.
Its estimated that up to 50 per cent of properties connect to private sewers in some form or another and that most other properties connect to a public sewer by means of a lateral drain.
The cost of transfer will be met by an increase in the sewerage element of bills for the generality of customers. Although these are uncertain, preliminary estimates give a range of bill increases of between £3 and £11 across the nine sewerage companies in England.
An extensive review of private sewers began in 2001, prompted by the concerns of householders. A consultation in 2003 revealed a high level of support for transfer, and the Government concluded there was a clear case for action.
Minister for Climate Change and Environment, Ian Pearson, said: Transfer of private sewers lateral drains will relieve owners who currently bear the risk of costs for maintaining and repairing them, costs that can be worryingly high.
Most private sewer owners do not even realise they have responsibility for their sewers until a problem occurs. Understandable, they assume that their sewer and lateral drain are looked after by the water and sewerage company. It can come as quite a shock to discover that they are liable when, for example, their sewer blocks or collapses.
The Governments intends to launch a public consultation to seek views on how the transfer should be implemented. The consultation will also be used to examine how to prevent the proliferation of new private sewers, in order to prevent the recurrence of existing problems.
Loading ...