First Time Sewerage

Properties not connected to the main sewerage system may qualify for mains connection under Section 101A of the Water Industry Act 1991. If you’ve got a septic tank or a cesspool to dispose of your household’s wastewater, which may be causing pollution to the local environment, you may be eligible to apply for our ‘first time sewerage’ process. Our factsheet below explains the process in more detail and there is an application for you to complete if you think you may be eligible. 

Owners or occupiers of premises can request United Utilities to provide a public sewer, or ‘first time sewerage’ if the following criteria are met:

• The application is for 2 or more premises already in existence and which use a private wastewater system (such as a septic tank, for example) and on which there are buildings used for living accommodation
• The drains or sewers used for domestic sewerage purposes (such as toilet flushing) do not currently, either directly or through an intermediate drain or sewer, connect with a public sewer
• The effect of the private wastewater system being used is causing, or likely to cause, an adverse effect to the local environment, such as a local watercourse
• The environment or amenity problem cannot be more appropriately resolved by improved maintenance or operation of the existing systems

Any application must be for two or more existing properties with a domestic element of drainage which isn’t connected either directly or indirectly to the public sewerage system.