Overflowing gullies

Generally, pipes that serve only your property and sit within its boundary are your responsibility, while shared sewers and pipes beyond the boundary are the water company's. The engineer can tell you where the blockage is so you know who to contact.

Rodding pushes flexible rods through the drain to break up a blockage. Jetting uses high-pressure water to scour the pipe clean, which works better on grease, silt and scale.

Repeated blockages usually point to an underlying problem such as roots, a cracked pipe or a dip in the drain. A CCTV drain survey, available at a fixed price, shows what is causing it.

Stop using taps, toilets and appliances that drain into the blocked section, and keep children and pets away from any overflowing manholes.

No. An emergency costs the same as any other call-out in the same time band. You pay for the time of day, not the word "emergency".

Travel within the area we cover, attendance, diagnosis and the first 60 minutes of work. After the first hour, time is charged in 30-minute blocks at the extra-time rate for the same band.