Quick answer
A drain emergency means sewage coming up inside, water flooding out of a drain, or several drains blocked at once. A single slow sink can wait, however. If you have an emergency, stop using water, keep clear of any sewage and mark your request urgent.
What counts as an emergency
Some problems carry a health risk, while others can damage your home. Treat these as urgent:
- Sewage backing up into a toilet, bath, sink or floor drain
- Water flooding out of a gully or manhole instead of draining away
- Toilets, sinks and the bath all blocked at the same time
- A strong sewage smell inside the home
- Sewage or waste water pooling in a garden or drive
- A collapsed drain, where the ground may sink or water may vanish
Several fixtures failing together usually points to a blockage in the main run, because one pipe cannot cause all of them. Check each bathroom and the kitchen to see how far it spreads.
What can wait
One slow sink or one blocked toilet is a normal blockage. It still needs fixing, yet it does not carry the same risk as sewage in a living space. Arrange the fix soon, since slow drains tend to get worse.
If the problem spreads to a second fixture, treat it as urgent, because the blockage may be further down the line. If in doubt, mark the request urgent and say what you can see. Write down which fixtures fail.
What to do in the first few minutes
Take these steps in order, since they limit the damage and keep your household safe. Each one is quick to do.
- Stop using water. Do not flush, run taps or start the washing machine.
- Move rugs, furniture and valuables away from the affected area.
- Keep children and pets away from any sewage.
- Open a window if the smell is strong.
- Take photos so you have a record.
Do not pour chemical cleaners into a drain that is backing up. They suit small blockages in one fixture, and they will not shift a full run. Our checklist on what to do first in a drain emergency covers each step in more detail.
Who to report it to
The owner of the pipe decides who clears it. While City of York Council looks after gullies, manhole covers and ditches, it cannot help with shared sewers or pipes outside property boundaries. It points those to Yorkshire Water.
Drains inside your boundary that serve only your home are yours. For help with one, use the request form, which is open 24/7. Mark it urgent if sewage is coming up. Ask the engineer for a written quote before work starts.
Since sewage in the home is urgent, the sewage emergency page lists what to include. The flooding emergency page does the same for water coming out of drains. Each page lists the details to include.
Why wet weather can make it worse
Heavy rain sends more water into drains and sewers. A system that copes on a dry week can struggle after a long downpour, since it carries rain as well as daily use. Watch your gullies during and after a storm.
York sits where the Ouse and the Foss meet, and City of York Council says the Environment Agency looks after the main rivers. High rivers can slow the flow out of nearby drains. Our guide to blocked drains on the Ouse floodplain in Selby shows the same effect in another low-lying town.
When it needs a repair, not just a clear
Some blockages clear once and never return. Others come back because a pipe has damage, for example a cracked or collapsed section, or roots growing through a joint. The difference matters because it decides the fix.
If a drain blocks again soon after a clear, ask for a CCTV drain survey. The camera shows what is inside the pipe. The drain repairs service page explains the options after that.
Where to find help in your area
Pick your town to see what each page covers. Examples include emergency drain services in York, blocked drains in Selby and drain unblocking in Malton. The locations page lists every area, while the services hub lists each service.
Pages for emergency drain services in Selby and emergency drain services in Tadcaster are also live. Two more cover emergency drain services in Strensall and emergency drain services in Bishopthorpe.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a drain emergency?
Sewage backing up into the home, water flooding from a drain, or many fixtures blocked at once. A single slow or blocked fixture is a normal blockage. However, it still needs fixing.
What should I do first?
Stop using water, move belongings away from the affected area and keep children and pets clear of any sewage. Take photos, then report the problem to the owner of the pipe. Do this even for a small problem, because early photos help.
Why do drain problems seem worse in wet weather?
Since heavy rain adds water to drains and sewers, the extra load can cause backups sooner where one pipe carries rain and foul waste together. Rain also raises river levels.
Who clears a sewer that backs up in the road?
Yorkshire Water looks after public sewers in York. City of York Council looks after road gullies and manhole covers, so report a flooded gully to the council. Check which pipe it is first.
