A drain emergency can strike at any hour. Sewage may back up, a blocked drain may flood a room, or a pipe may collapse. Knowing what to do in the first few minutes limits the damage, because water spreads fast.
Recognise a drain emergency
Not every drain problem is an emergency. However, these signs need action straight away:
- Sewage backing up into the property
- Water flooding from drains
- Several drains blocked at the same time
- A strong sewage smell indoors
- Sewage in the garden or driveway
Steps to take now
1. Stop using water
Stop using water as soon as you see a serious problem. Do not flush toilets, run taps or use the washing machine or dishwasher. Every extra litre makes the problem worse, because it has nowhere to go.
2. Protect your property
If water or sewage is entering the home, move furniture and valuables away from it. Roll up rugs if you can. Open windows for fresh air, since sewage gas can be unpleasant and harmful.
3. Turn off the water if clean water is running
If clean water keeps running from a burst pipe, turn off the stopcock. You often find it under the kitchen sink or near the front door. This will not stop a drain backing up. However, it cuts the water going in.
4. Avoid contaminated areas
Sewage can carry germs. Keep children and pets away from affected areas. If you must go in, wear rubber boots and gloves while you work, avoid touching your face and wash well afterwards.
5. Record the damage
Take photos and videos of the damage, and note the time the problem began. Keep these for any insurance claim. Citizens Advice Scotland says building insurance typically covers sewer-flooding damage, and that you may be able to claim compensation from Scottish Water if it was negligent. Check your own policy, however, because cover differs.
What not to do
Do not pour chemical cleaners into a drain in an emergency. They suit minor blockages, and they can make a larger problem worse. Never lift a public sewer cover or climb into a chamber, because chambers can hold harmful gases.
Do not ignore the problem either. Drain faults rarely clear by themselves, yet delay can add to the damage.
Who is responsible for the pipe
While Scottish Water maintains public sewers, according to Citizens Advice Scotland, owners are responsible for their own pipes up to the point where they join the public sewer. If the fault is in a public sewer, report it to Scottish Water.
If you live in a Dundee City Council house, the council says to report blocked or defective drains to its Customer Service Team or any Housing Office. For a fault on your own pipes, however, you can send a request through the form and mark it urgent.
While you wait for help
A few small jobs help whoever responds. Clear access to any chambers or covers. Note where water is entering or backing up. Ask neighbours if they have the same problem, because that can point to a shared drain or a public sewer.
Town pages cover urgent requests too. See emergency drain help in Broughty Ferry or emergency drain help in Monifieth. Along the coast, there are pages for urgent drain problems in Carnoustie and urgent drain problems in Arbroath. Inland, read about emergency drain help in Perth.
Asking for help
The request form takes requests 24/7, and you can mark a request urgent. It asks for your name, phone number, postcode, an optional address, the service you need and a note about the problem. Say what you can see and when it started, because both details help an engineer plan. Add whether neighbours have the same problem.
Your request goes to an engineer who can respond. Since the engineer runs a separate business, the engineer sets the arrival time and the price. Ask when they can attend, ask whether there is a call-out charge, and agree the price before work starts.
UK guides show that out-of-hours work often costs more. MyJobQuote lists standard call-outs at £50 to £100 and emergency call-outs at £100 to £200, while Book A Builder adds £50 to £120 for evenings and £100 to £250 for weekends and bank holidays on top of the job price. These are guide figures, so the engineer's written quote is what counts.
For help with emergency drain callouts in Dundee, read about emergency drain services. The pages on a flooding emergency and a sewage emergency cover each case. An engineer may also use a CCTV drain survey or high-pressure jetting, since the first job is to find the fault. When you are ready, request urgent help online.
