Dealing with a drainage emergency in SE21, we can usually be with you inside 90 minutes. Our engineers cover Dulwich and Tulse Hill and everything nearby, day and night, 365 days a year.
What we cover in SE21
Our coverage of SE21 spans Dulwich and Tulse Hill, part of Southwark and Lambeth. As we also attend the adjoining areas, we can deal with both ends of a shared run.
Dulwich has large Victorian and Edwardian villas, generous gardens and heavy tree cover on clay subsoil. Roots entering open clay joints, and seasonal movement opening those joints further, are the defining faults.
Common causes in SE21
The recurring problems in SE21 are much the same year to year:
- Waste water rising from a manhole
- Every fitting backing up at once
- Foul water backing into a ground-floor shower or bath
- Flooding after a storm
Signs worth reporting
What to tell us on the call:
- Water sitting in a drain outside hours after the last discharge
- Several fittings draining slowly at once, rather than a single sink
- Gurgling from a toilet or sink when the bath is let out
- A sour smell near the gully that worsens after rain
How the visit works
We diagnose before we clear:
- You get an honest time, not an optimistic one
- Stop using water in the property until we arrive
- Most emergencies are resolved in one visit
- We are straight about whether clearing is enough
Before we arrive
What to do before we get there:
- Keep water use to nothing, especially washing machines
- Cordon off contaminated ground
- Move bins or planters off the inspection covers
- Have your postcode and a description ready so we arrive prepared
Who pays for the repair
The first question on a shared drain is whose it is. A private drain serving one building is the owner’s; past the boundary it is normally Thames Water. We put that in writing after the visit.
What it costs in SE21
Emergency attendance starts at a fixed £120 plus VAT, and we never charge for coming out. You get a fixed figure rather than a running clock, so nothing changes once we are on site.