If you need to make a connection to a public sewer our Sewer Connection Guide contains all the information you should need. Should your enquiry relate to Isles of Scilly then please see the specific guidance below.

To connect to the public sewer you’ll need to complete our online application form below or download our pdf version and return it to us by email or post together with your supporting information.

Connecting to a public sewer

If you're planning to connect or reconnect to one of our sewers, you’ll need our consent before you go ahead. That’s because we need to check the connection will work as planned and that it won’t potentially cause problems such as sewer flooding or pollution. We have legal duties around this, set out in Section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (‘the Act’).

Sewer connections can be made directly to a public sewer or indirectly to a private drain that in turn discharges to a public sewer. Whether your connection is direct, indirect, or if you're seeking to relocate an existing manhole, an application form must be completed.

You can connect to a local sewer under Section 106 of the Act. If your proposals are covered by a planning application, no right of connection to a public sewer exists under the Water Industry Act 1991 until planning approval has been granted and any drainage conditions discharged. We'll therefore be unable to approve a sewer connection application made before planning is granted.

What you need to do before you apply

What happens once you've applied