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Outside drains

Why is my manhole overflowing?

An overflowing manhole means the drain run downstream of that chamber is blocked. Waste water arrives faster than it can leave, so the chamber fills and spills. Stop using water in the property immediately and call a drainage engineer — every flush adds to the overflow.

Lifting the next chamber downstream tells you where the blockage is. If that chamber is empty, the blockage is between the two. If it is also full, keep working downstream until you find an empty one.

If every chamber on your property is full including the last one before the boundary, the blockage may be in the public sewer — in which case your water and sewerage company is responsible and will attend free of charge.

Never pour water or push a hose in to "help it along". You will simply move the flooding to another chamber or into the property.

Still not sure? Just ask us.

We're a small, family-run team based in East Grinstead, on call 24/7 across East Grinstead and a 20-mile radius. No obligation — tell us what you're seeing and we'll tell you straight what it is.

0330 1331 347

Related service: Flooded Drains & Manholes

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