Wastewater Connection
If you are building a house extension, new home or a commercial building and need a wastewater connection for your new kitchen, bathroom, toilet, or simply making changes to your existing drainage, you may need a new wastewater connection to our sewer network.
Before you apply
There are a few things that you need to know to understand whether you need to apply for wastewater connection and what type of wastewater connection is the right option for you.
What is a wastewater connection, and when do I need one?
A new wastewater connection is a connection to the public sewer main, either directly or indirectly through private drains. Both will require an application to be made to us.
Reasons when you may need a new wastewater connection are:
- Building a new property
- Building a house extension with the new kitchen, bathroom, or toilet
- Changing the use of the property (i.e., from a residential to a commercial property)
- Increasing the number of properties including splitting the plot in two
- Adding or changing the type of flow (i.e., connecting foul sewerage that previously discharged to a septic tank)
- If you are connecting to the private sewer and adding an additional discharge load or splitting the property into additional units
You will not need to apply, if you're connecting to your private sewer and there are no additional flows, or you're not splitting the property into additional units, you can make this connection yourself using a certified contractor without a sewer connection application. This will need to be monitored/signed off by your local building control officer.
If you are connecting to the public sewer, you will always need to apply for a Wastewater Connection Application (Section 106).
It is illegal under Section 109 of the Water Industry Act 1991 to make a connection to the public sewer without our approval.
The Wastewater Connection application is only for approving the means and mode of construction. In other words the way your drainage will physically connect to our network, so it’s important you also identify that there is capacity to accommodate your proposed flows. If you are building a large development or a commercial property you can assess available capacity with a pre-planning enquiry wastewater application.
What sewer type should I connect into?
Before making an application, it is important to understand the different wastewater types and sewer connection options.
You will need to find out where the public sewers are in your area using our sewer and water maps page. If there are no records of the sewers on the map you will need to carry out a drainage survey to check what sewers are available to you. There are many contractors that can help with this, such as InSewer and Cappaph Browne (Isle of Wight area). Once you have identified the sewer, you will need to discuss with your contractor the best way to connect.
The timescales and supporting documents that you will need to submit with your application will vary depending on the type of sewer you choose.
Within our network, we have several different types of sewers:
- Foul sewer – Carry wastewater from toilets, sinks, showers, washing machines etc. from your home or business
- Surface water sewer – Carry rainwater which runs off roofs and paved areas
- Combined sewer – Carry both foul and surface water
Here are more details on what you will need and how it all works for each wastewater connection type.
Making an application
Application to connect to the foul sewers
The most common type of wastewater connection is to connect to the foul sewer. You will need to select the foul wastewater connection option in your application if you need to dispose of wastewater from kitchen, baths, toilets, showers, washing machines, or dishwashers.
Steps we'll take to get you connected
Don't worry we'll be in touch along the way to make sure everything goes smoothly.
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You apply online and pay your application fee
Fill in our online form and pay your application fee.
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We send you our approval
We’ll do a technical review of your application and send you our decision or request further information on your proposal within 7 days.
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You carry out your work
You’ll need to obtain necessary permits and arrange your contractor to connect into our sewer.
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You book your site inspection
Request a site inspection to ensure that your connection has been carried out correctly.
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We send you a completion letter
Once we are happy that your connection complies with our requirements and have passed our inspection, we’ll send you a completion letter within 7 days.
Step 1 – You apply online and pay your application fee
Fill in our online application using our GetConnected portal. You will need to pay an application fee.
When making your application, please select option “Foul sewer” and have the following information ready:
- A site location plan
- A drainage layout plan showing the location of sewers and manholes on your site and up to the connection point (Sewer Connections Detailed Drainage Examples)
- A copy of your planning consent (if applicable)
- An application fee of £322.00 (inc 20% VAT) per connection. If you need a wastewater connection and a new manhole chamber, then your fee will be a £413.00 (inc 20% VAT)
- If you are connecting to the sewers 5 metres deep or 300mm and above, your contractor should have a Health and Safety policy. You will need to submit this and a site-specific risk assessment and method statement (RAMS) with your application
Download Risk Assessment and method statement template
If we need any clarifications or additional information about your proposal, you will get an email notification asking to read a message from us in your GetConnected dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get a map of available sewers?
Which drains are my responsibility?
Step 2 – We send you our approval
If we have everything we need within the next 7 days we’ll do a technical review of your application and send our decision.
Please hold off starting any work until you receive our written approval as we may ask for an amendment and changes to your proposal before we grant approval, which may result in additional cost to your project. You should be aware that it’s illegal under Section 109 of the Water Industry Act 1991 to make a connection to the public sewer without our approval.
When the proposal meets our standards, we will provide you with the approval letter and introduce the Assistant Adoption Manager for your area.
Frequently asked questions
Step 3 – You carry out your work
Once you have received our approval, you will now need to arrange with your contractor to carry out your works on site to connect into our sewer.
Please share our technical guidance document with your contractor, to ensure that all pipework is compliant with our standards. Please make sure you use vitrified clay pipework on all connections and in manhole chambers.
Download Sewer connection guidance notes
You will also need to organise and obtain any necessary third-party landowner’s consent, Building Regulation Approval and Highway Authority Road Opening License (if applicable) before carrying out any works.
Frequently asked questions
Does Southern Water undertake the sewer connection?
Where do I get a contractor to do my sewer connection?
Who can carry out work in third party land?
Step 4 – You book your site inspection
Once you have made your connection our adoption manager will attend your site to inspect and make sure everything meets our requirements. Please contact us at least 2 working days before you start your connection.
In cases where the connection has not met our requirements, we’ll let you know what you will need to do to get approval. Once you have made the requested changes you will need to arrange a new inspection with the Assistant Adoption Manager.
We have prepared a site inspection checklist so that inspection of your sewer connection can be passed first time.
Step 5 – We send you a completion letter
Once we are happy that your connection to the public sewer complies with our requirements and have passed our inspection, we will send you a completion letter within 7 working days. Your wastewater connection application will now be complete.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need to pay infrastructure charges in addition to the application costs?
Application to discharge your surface water
Surface water carries rainwater which runs off roofs and paved areas. It is good environmental practice for the surface water to be reused or returned to the environment on or near your site where possible. We recommend the following options, in preferential order for managing your surface water runoff.
- Water reuse – explore installing rain harvesting solutions to reduce the demand on the water supply and the quantity of runoff discharged to the sewer.
- Infiltration into local ground – drain your surface water via soakaways or infiltration basins. You will need an approval from building control at your local council authority for the installation of these assets, which can be requested in your planning application.
- Drain surface water into a watercourse – if there is a stream of water such as river, canal, or the channel, please drain the surface water that way. You may need to obtain a consent to discharge from the Environmental Agency or local council authority/drainage board.
- Council or privately owned drainage systems - Discharge to a watercourse or other surface water body. These systems may be owned by your local council authority or privately and can include such drainage such as a Culverted Watercourse, District Council Surface water or Private Network. You will need to obtain separate approval from the Environment Agency or local council authority for these discharges.
- Discharge into Southern Water surface water sewer – Discharge to our surface water sewer. You can check whether we have a surface water sewer in the local vicinity by obtaining a map of our assets for the area.
- Discharge into Southern Water Combined sewer – Connect to a combined sewer which drains foul and surface water if one is in the local vicinity. This must not increase the risk of a combined Sewer Overflow becoming overwhelmed in wet weather.
If you have explored all the above and it has been confirmed that they are not achievable, please contact us on 0330 303 0119 to discuss your options.
For new developments we would recommend looking at potential for incorporating SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) at the earliest opportunity for surface water flows. Draining surface water through SuDS on site has many benefits to the local aesthetics, increasing biodiversity and building resilience to flooding and pollution. In many cases this may negate or reduce the need for network reinforcement and allow earlier completion of development.
Step 1 – You apply for wastewater connection
Fill in our online application using our GetConnected portal.
You will need to pay an application fee.
When making your application, please select option “Surface Water Sewer” or “Combined Sewer” and have the following information ready:
- Capacity check report
- A site location plan
- A drainage layout plan showing the location of sewers and manholes on your site and up to the connection point (Sewer Connections Detailed Drainage Examples)
- A copy of your planning consent decision letter (if applicable)
- Percolation test results (a test to determine the water absorption rate of soil)
- Geographical survey showing no viable watercourse available
- An application fee of £322.00 (inc 20% VAT) per connection. If you need a wastewater connection and a new manhole chamber, then your fee will be a £413.00 (inc 20% VAT)
- If you are connecting to the sewers 5 metres deep or 300mm and above, your contractor should have a Health and Safety policy. You will need to submit this and a site-specific risk assessment and method statement (RAMS) with your application
Download Risk Assessment and method statement template
If you need to make several connections to both foul sewer and surface water sewer, please select option “Combined sewer” in your application and specify in the comments box how many of each you need.
If we need any clarifications or additional information about your proposal, you will get an email notification asking to read a message from us in your GetConnected dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get a map of available sewers?
What is the difference between a foul sewer and a surface water sewer?
I’ve considered discharge to the ground but it’s not possible. What should I do?
Step 2 – We send you our approval
If we have everything we need, within the next 7 days we’ll complete a technical review of your application and send you our decision.
Please do not start any works until you receive our written approval as we may ask for an amendment and changes to your proposal before we grant the approval, which may result in additional cost for you. You should be aware that it’s illegal under Section 109 of the Water Industry Act 1991 to make a connection to the public sewer without our approval.
When the proposal meets our standards, we will provide you with the approval letter and introduce the Assistant Adoption Manager for your area.
Frequently asked questions
Step 3 – You carry out your work
Once you have received our approval, you will now need to arrange with your contractor to carry out your works on site to connect into our sewer.
Please share our technical guidance with your contractor, to ensure that all pipework is compliant with our standards. Please make sure you use vitrified clay pipework on all connections and in manhole chambers.
Download the sewer connection guidance notes
You will also need to organise and obtain any necessary third-party landowner’s consent, Building Regulation Approval and Highway Authority Road Opening License (if applicable) before carrying out any works.
Frequently asked questions
Does Southern Water undertake the sewer connection?
Who can carry out work in third party land?
Where do I get a contractor to do my sewer connection?
Can I discharge surface water to the foul sewer?
What can’t I discharge to the public sewer?
Can I discharge land or highway drainage to the public sewer?
Step 4 – You book your site inspection
Once you have made your connection, our Adoption Manager will attend your site to inspect and make sure everything meets our requirements. Please contact us at least 2 working days before you start your connection.
In cases where the connection has not met our requirements, we’ll let you know what you will need to do to get an approval. Once you have made the requested changes you will need to arrange a new inspection with the Adoption Manager.
We have prepared a site inspection checklist so that inspection of your sewer connection can be passed first time.
Step 5 - We send you a completion letter
Once we are happy that your connection to the public sewer complies with our requirements and have passed our inspection, we will send you a completion letter within 7 working days. Your wastewater connection application is now complete.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need to pay infrastructure charges in addition to the application costs?
Still have questions? We are here to help
We understand that all projects are different, and it might be hard to understand what the right and most cost-effective option is. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more guidance or simply request a call back from our helpful team.
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