Blocked drains and drainage services across Wiltshire
South Wiltshire sits just up the Avon valley from our engineers. The north of the county is a long drive, and we tell you that before you book.
- Road miles measured, not guessed
- The same price list as Dorset
- Wessex, Thames and council roles explained
With blocked drains in Wiltshire, where you live decides how long you wait. Our engineers are based in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch. From Christchurch the A338 follows the Avon north to Salisbury in about 23 miles, but Swindon is roughly 70 miles away. We cover the whole county, and instead of a stock arrival time we give you a real arrival time when you call.
We're not a Wiltshire firm and have no office, depot or engineer here. My Local Drainage is part of the OneFlow Drainage group, and the people who turn up are engineers from OneFlow Drainage.
Blocked drains across Wiltshire: how far we travel
| Town | Road miles from our nearest base town | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Downton (SP5) | About 17, from Christchurch | A real arrival time when you call |
| Salisbury (SP1, SP2) | About 23, from Christchurch | A real arrival time when you call |
| Amesbury (SP4) | About 32, from Christchurch | A real arrival time when you call |
| Warminster (BA12) | About 41, from Poole | A real arrival time when you call |
| Devizes (SN10) | About 48, from Christchurch | A real arrival time when you call |
| Trowbridge (BA14) | About 52, from Poole | A real arrival time when you call |
| Chippenham (SN14, SN15) | About 58, from Christchurch | A real arrival time when you call; surveys are easier to plan |
| Swindon (SN1 to SN5) | About 70, from Christchurch | A real arrival time when you call; a Swindon firm may be quicker for an emergency |
We measured each distance with a route planner, from whichever of Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch is closest. West Wiltshire is reached up the A350 through Blandford and Shaftesbury. Every town on the list is at least 17 miles from our engineers and most are over 40, so the arrival times we quote in Dorset don't apply here. If someone nearer can reach a sewage emergency before us, you'll hear that from us on the phone.
Towns we cover in Wiltshire
- Downton and the Avon villages: SP5, the nearest corner of the county to Christchurch.
- Salisbury: SP1 and SP2, including Wilton and Laverstock.
- Amesbury and Durrington: SP4, beside Salisbury Plain.
- Tisbury and Shrewton: SP3, chalk villages where Wessex Water has been checking sewers for groundwater.
- Warminster and Westbury: BA12 and BA13.
- Trowbridge and Bradford on Avon: BA14 and BA15.
- Devizes, Melksham and Pewsey: SN10, SN12 and SN9.
- Chippenham, Corsham and Calne: SN11 and SN13 to SN15.
- Swindon: SN1 to SN5, SN25 and SN26, with its own council and Thames Water sewers.
Two councils and two sewer companies
Wiltshire has two unitary councils. Swindon Borough Council runs the roads in and around Swindon. Wiltshire Council, based at County Hall in Trowbridge, runs the rest. Each clears its own road gullies (the grated drains at the kerb). Wiltshire Council takes reports through MyWilts and deals first with gullies that are flooding homes or making a road unsafe. Swindon takes reports on its flooding form.
Sewers split along similar lines. Wessex Water runs the public sewers across most of the county, Salisbury included: report a blockage to Wessex Water or ring 0345 600 4 600 at any hour. Swindon's wastewater goes to Thames Water's works at Rodbourne, and Thames also serves parts of north Wiltshire: report it to Thames Water or call 0800 316 9800. Unsure which is yours? The sewerage bill names the company.
Since October 2011, shared pipes and the stretch of your own pipe beyond the property line belong to that company, which clears them free. Anything serving your home alone, up to that line, is yours to fix, and that's the part we deal with. Our guide to who is responsible for blocked drains goes through the grey areas.
Chalk, clay and wet winters
Two-thirds of Wiltshire lies on chalk, and Salisbury Plain is the biggest block of it. Chalk stores rain underground, so after a long wet spell the water table climbs above the pipes. Wessex Water says groundwater then seeps through cracks in public sewers and private drains alike, and toilets can run slowly for weeks. It has been inspecting and sealing sewers in catchments that include Salisbury, Tisbury, Shrewton and Downton.
If your toilet slows every wet winter and recovers by spring, a CCTV drain survey shows whether your own pipes are letting water in. Leaking joints can often be sealed from inside by drain relining, with no digging.
The ground changes further north. The Vale of Pewsey cuts through the chalk into greensand and Oxford Clay, and the north-west sits on Cotswold limestone. Clay soaks up water slowly, so a new soakaway there needs a percolation test first.
Housing varies as much as the rock. Swindon runs from the railway village the Great Western Railway built for its workers in the 1840s to Priory Vale, begun in 2001. Old clay pipes tend to crack at the joints and let roots in. Newer plastic ones more often block with wipes and fat.
What drainage work costs in Wiltshire
Prices don't change with distance, so Swindon pays what Salisbury pays. Unblocking starts from £80, and you get 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. A camera survey costs from £150 anywhere in the county. The full price list sets out what each price covers.
Wiltshire drainage FAQs
Is Salisbury close enough for an emergency call-out?
Salisbury is about 23 miles by road from Christchurch, the nearest of our base towns, which makes it one of the closer places we cover beyond Dorset and Hampshire. We still won't quote a stock time. You get a real arrival time when you call, and if a Salisbury firm can reach you sooner, we'll tell you.
Who deals with a blocked sewer in Swindon?
Thames Water, for the public sewer and any pipe you share with neighbours: call 0800 316 9800. A blocked road gully goes to Swindon Borough Council, not Wiltshire Council. A blockage in the pipe serving only your home is yours to clear. We can do it, though a firm based in Swindon may get there first.
Why do some Wiltshire toilets run slowly every wet winter?
Usually because of groundwater. In the chalk valleys the water table rises after weeks of rain and seeps into sewers and drains through cracks, filling them up. Wessex Water says this can restrict toilet use for weeks. If the neighbours are affected too, call Wessex Water. If it's only your house, a camera survey shows whether your own pipes are leaking.
Will Wiltshire Council unblock my drain?
Only if it's a road gully, the grated drain at the edge of the road. Report those through MyWilts. The council doesn't clear sewers or private drains: sewers belong to Wessex Water or Thames Water, and the pipe serving only your property is your responsibility. In Swindon, road gullies go to Swindon Borough Council instead.
Does it cost more because you're driving up from Dorset?
No. Wiltshire jobs use the same price list as every other area, with unblocking from £80 and a fixed price agreed before any work starts. The distance changes how long you wait, not what you pay. No call-out fee.
Need a Wiltshire drain looked at?
Call 0800 246 5347 or leave your postcode in the form below. We'll give you the price and an honest view on whether we're the right firm to send.