We aim to clean all drains on the public highway at least once every two years, although some drains will be cleaned annually or twice a year. We do not clean drains in car parks, blocks of flats, private garage areas or private roads. Drains in these areas are the responsibility of the owners.
Find out more about how we clean drains and why we sometimes cannot clean a drain on our drainage web page.
We have a programme for cleaning drains in each area. We do not publish exact dates as the programme is subject to change due to factors outside of our control, such as weather events or utility works taking place.
Our contractor's performance is measured to ensure that programme dates are followed as closely as can reasonably be achieved, and to accommodate all of the factors that can lead to programme changes. Our contractor has a three month window to carry out drain cleaning which starts from the date on our initial programme.
Roads that have been identified as heavily parked are included on a separate 'vehicle over' programme. Historically these roads have been difficult to clean, therefore commuters and residents will be advised of when they will be cleaned so that the road can be cleared of parked cars.
In addition to this, drains located on dual carriageways with a speed limit of 40mph and over will be cleaned on a separate programme due to the traffic management required. This programme will include other highway maintenance functions (for example litter picking, grass cutting) to reduce the impact on traffic and minimise cost. More information on this can be found on our routine maintenance on high speed roads page.
For more information about drain cleaning or to report a blocked drain please contact us.
