Drainage services across West Sussex, from the coast to Crawley
The Sussex coast starts about an hour east of our engineers, and Crawley is nearer two. Prices stay the same, and you'll get the timing straight.
- Road miles measured for each town
- Southern Water or Thames Water, sorted
- One price list, Selsey to East Grinstead
If you have blocked drains in West Sussex, start with where we set off from. Our engineers are based in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch. Southbourne, on the Hampshire border, is about 53 road miles from Christchurch, Chichester about 60 and East Grinstead, in the north-east corner, about 114. We take jobs across the county, and you get a real arrival time when you call, based on where the team is.
Nobody from My Local Drainage works out of West Sussex: there's no office, yard or engineer here. My Local Drainage is part of the OneFlow Drainage group, and whoever pulls up outside is one of the engineers from OneFlow Drainage.
Blocked drains in West Sussex: road miles from Christchurch
| Where | Postcodes | Road miles from Christchurch | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chichester | PO19, with PO18 and PO20 villages | About 60 | A real arrival time when you call |
| Bognor Regis and Pagham | PO21, PO22 | About 65 to 67 | A real arrival time when you call |
| Arundel | BN18 | About 70 | A real arrival time when you call |
| Littlehampton | BN17 | About 72 | A real arrival time when you call |
| Worthing | BN11 to BN14 | About 81 | A real arrival time when you call |
| Horsham | RH12, RH13 | About 94 | A real arrival time when you call |
| Burgess Hill | RH15 | About 97 | A real arrival time when you call |
| Haywards Heath | RH16, RH17 | About 100 | A real arrival time when you call |
| Crawley | RH10, RH11 | About 104 | A real arrival time when you call; a Crawley firm may reach an emergency first |
| East Grinstead | RH19 | About 114 | A real arrival time when you call; planned work suits this distance |
A route planner gave us each figure, measured from Christchurch, our nearest base town to all of them. With empty roads, Chichester takes a little over an hour and Crawley close to two. Traffic can add a lot to both, so we don't print an arrival window. If sewage is backing up and a local firm can beat us there, you'll hear that from us.
West Sussex towns on our round
- Chichester: PO19 in the city, Bosham in PO18, Selsey and the Witterings in PO20.
- Bognor Regis and Pagham: PO21 and PO22, a resort laid out on sand and gravel.
- Littlehampton, Rustington and Arundel: BN16 to BN18, around the tidal Arun.
- Worthing and Lancing: BN11 to BN15, including Goring and Durrington.
- Horsham: RH12 and RH13, with Southwater and Broadbridge Heath.
- Crawley: RH10 and RH11, from Three Bridges and Pound Hill to Bewbush.
- Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath: RH15 to RH17, including Lindfield and Cuckfield.
- East Grinstead: RH19, the corner of the county furthest from us.
Who owns the sewer: Southern Water, or Thames Water in Crawley
Southern Water runs the public sewers across almost all of West Sussex, Chichester and Worthing included. The exception we've confirmed is Crawley, where the borough council sends sewer blockages to Thames Water. If you're unsure, your sewerage bill names the company.
- Southern Water: call 0330 303 0368 (7am to 11pm on weekdays, 7.30am to 10.30pm at weekends) or use the live chat on its blocked drain help page.
- Thames Water, for Crawley: report the blockage online or phone 0800 316 9800.
Since October 2011, any pipe carrying more than one home's waste has belonged to the water company, and so has your own drain once it passes your boundary. Those are cleared free. The length inside your boundary serving only your household is yours, and that is the part we unblock. Our guide to who is responsible for blocked drains covers the awkward cases.
Road gullies and West Sussex County Council
West Sussex County Council runs the roads, and its contractor keeps about 137,000 gullies clean, dealing first with those that silt up most. Report a blocked gully or flooded road on the council's online drainage form. Those reports aren't read at weekends or on bank holidays, so for flooding that can't wait, ring its response team on 01243 642105, or 999 if anyone is in danger.
Chalk springs, the coastal plain and Weald clay
- Groundwater around Chichester. The Lavant rises from chalk springs north of the city and flows only part of the year. Southern Water says a full Lavant in winter adds to high groundwater, which forces its way into sewers through pipe joints, and at times tankers are needed. If your toilet goes sluggish every wet winter, a CCTV drain survey shows whether your own pipes let water in, and drain relining can seal the joints from inside.
- Flat land by the sea. A narrow plain of brickearth and gravel, built up almost end to end, runs from Chichester to Brighton. On ground this level a drain has little fall, so silt and fat settle more easily.
- Clay and New Town homes inland. Crawley stands partly on Weald Clay, and most of its neighbourhoods were built between the late 1940s and the 1970s. Clay moves as it wets and dries, which can open the joints on old clayware pipes to roots. Homes of that era may have pitch fibre drains, which soften and sag with age; a camera spots it fast.
One price list for Selsey and Crawley alike
We don't charge for the drive. A job in East Grinstead comes off the same price list as one in Poole: unblocking from £80, with a fixed price agreed before any work starts. No call-out fee. The same price day, night, weekends and bank holidays. All prices include VAT.
Planned work suits the distance best. A camera survey costs from £150 and a homebuyer drain survey from £195. We show you the camera footage before we leave, and the written report follows within 48 hours.
West Sussex drainage FAQs
How soon can you get to Chichester?
Chichester is about 60 road miles from Christchurch, the nearest of our base towns, which is a little over an hour of driving when the roads are clear. We won't promise a time from a web page. You get a real arrival time when you call, based on where the team is. If a firm in Chichester can reach a sewage emergency sooner, we'll tell you.
Who do I call about a blocked sewer in Crawley?
Thames Water, not Southern Water. Crawley Borough Council directs sewer blockages to Thames Water, on 0800 316 9800. When the blockage sits in a pipe serving only your home, inside your boundary, clearing it is your job. We can do that, though a firm based nearer Crawley may arrive before us.
Why do drains near Chichester slow down every wet winter?
Groundwater, most often. After weeks of rain the water held in the chalk rises, and Southern Water says it pushes into sewers through the joints between pipes, filling space meant for sewage. If the whole street is affected, ring Southern Water on 0330 303 0368. If only your house is, a camera survey shows whether your own drain is taking in water.
Will West Sussex County Council clear the drain outside my house?
Only if it's a road gully, the grated drain in the kerb or road surface. Report those on the council's online drainage form, or on 01243 642105 when a road is flooding now. The council doesn't clear sewers, which belong to Southern Water or, in Crawley, Thames Water. Private drains belong to the property owner.
I'm buying a flat in Worthing. Should I get the drains surveyed first?
It's worth it, and it's the kind of job where our distance barely matters, because we book a day that suits you, usually within 3 working days. A homebuyer drain survey costs from £195. You watch the footage on site. With a flat, also ask the seller or managing agent who maintains the shared drains.
Drains playing up in West Sussex?
Call 0800 246 5347 or leave your postcode in the form. We'll give you the price, and tell you plainly if someone closer would serve you better.