A drain emergency can mean flooding, sewage in the home or a failed drain. You can send a request at any time, and you can mark it urgent. Ask the engineer who takes the job for an arrival time. Because urgent work can cost more, a written quote matters.
A drain emergency means flooding, sewage coming back into the home or a drain that has failed. If it feels unsafe, mark your request urgent when you send it. You can send a request at any time, but the engineer who takes the job sets the arrival time. Since flooding can spread, send your request as soon as you can.
Plymouth City Council publishes a flood risk strategy for the city. It also runs an online page where you can report a flood. South West Water looks after the public sewers, so a sewer fault goes to the water company.
Where the flood comes from decides who deals with it. South West Water manages flooding from public sewers. Plymouth City Council runs a flood strategy and a page for reporting floods. A drain that serves only your home is yours to clear, so report the problem to the right body as well.
In an emergency, the first job is to stop the problem getting worse. The engineer may clear the blockage, pump out water or make the area safe. Ask what they plan to do first, since the cost can change as the job grows.
Tip for Plymouth: If sewage is coming up inside, keep people and pets away from it. Tell South West Water too, since it manages flooding from sewers. Stay safe first, because water and sewage can carry health risks.
Start by saying what is happening, such as flooding or sewage in the home. Mark the request as urgent, because that tells the engineer the job cannot wait. Add your contact details so the engineer can reply.
Since every engineer sets their own terms, ask before work starts. These questions help you compare quotes fairly. Keep the answers, because they are easier to compare in writing.
Arrival time depends on the engineer who takes your job. You can send a request at any time, day or night, and you should mark it urgent. Ask for an arrival time as soon as the engineer replies, because we cannot promise one.
Sewage coming back into the home, flooding from a drain or a drain collapse are urgent. A slow sink is not usually an emergency, because the water still drains. If anyone is at risk, keep people away from the water.
It can, because urgent work may mean out-of-hours time and extra equipment. Ask the engineer for a written quote and any call-out charge before you agree. If the flooding comes from a public sewer, the water company manages it, so report it to them as well.
The same service is also listed for emergency drain services in Plymstock and emergency drain services in Saltash. Each page has its own notes on drains and flooding, while the basic steps stay the same. You can read either one to compare.
For background, read what to do in a drain emergency. You can also browse all drainage pages for Plymouth or the emergency drain services overview, since each one covers a different angle. Whichever page you choose, the request form at the top of this page stays the same.