Drains are pipes, which carry waste and surface water from one or more houses. When one drain meets another, it becomes a sewer. Yorkshire Water looks after the network of public sewers in the Wakefield district.

Private drains/sewers are the joint responsibility of each property that drains into it.

Please visit the Yorkshire Water website (see 'Related Links') for more about what they do and for information about public and private drains, including the proposed changes to who is responsible for them.

The council looks after surface water drainage and is responsible for dealing with blocked drains in your area (see Land Drainage under 'Related Links' for more information).

Sewer Maps

The statutory sewer map is provided by Yorkshire Water and can be viewed at the Yorkshire Water offices in Bradford.

A copy is made available to each local authority. In Wakefield the system can be viewed between Monday and Friday 9am-5pm at:

Planning Offices Lower Building,
Newton Bar, Leeds Road,
Wakefield WF1 2TX 
tel: 01924 306636. 

No appointment is necessary but occasionally agents may be undertaking searches and it will be necessary to wait. The reception staff at Newton Bar will show you how to use the system.

No printed version of the records is possible at Newton Bar, although information can be drawn onto a map brought by you. The only printed version is available directly from Yorkshire Water (a charge will be made for a copy).

Note: The map only shows public sewers owned by Yorkshire Water. It does not show private drains. You may need to arrange your own survey by a competent party to find the location of a private drain.