Sewer adoptions

If you’re constructing sewers as part of a new development, you may wish to seek adoption of the new network that’s installed. Adopting the sewers as public will ensure Anglian Water becomes responsible for their future maintenance and repair.

We'd be delighted to consider your application for a new sewer adoption and would invite you to engage with us as early as possible. To apply, please visit our InFlow portal and select Drainage.

Ofwat has now approved the Sewerage Sector Guidance documentation that the sector had previously prepared to meet the requirements of Ofwat's Code for Adoption Agreements. Sewerage Sector Guidance (SSG) was introduced on 1st April 2020 and is now mandatory across the industry. The approved documents can be found on Water UK’s website.

The purpose of the codes for adoption is to drive efficiency and effectiveness of the processes. Reducing the time and costs incurred by all parties entering into adoption agreements. A new system of redress and model adoption agreement has also been published.

The ‘Sewers for Adoption’ has now been replaced by the ‘Design & Construction Guidance’. Included within is provision for Sewerage Undertakers to adopt SUDs facilities. We strongly encourage developers to contact us to discuss this further, prior to making new applications

A requirement of Ofwat’s Code for adoption agreements is that all requests for changes to the documentation approved by Ofwat be submitted to an independent panel, comprised of an equal number of water companies and customers. The role of the panel is to make recommendations to Ofwat where it consider that changes to the approved documentation are appropriate. The Water UK ‘Sewerage Adoption Panel’ has its own website, which can be found here: Home | Water UK Sewerage Adoption.

If you would like to review any open or closed proposals, respond to a proposal, submit a change proposal, review minutes from previous meetings or make any further enquiries with regards to the Sewerage Adoption Panel, please visit Home | Water UK Sewerage Adoption

Useful guidance and information

Pre-design strategic discussion/assessment

In addition to a standard pre-planning enquiry, this stage is designed to capture the early engagement for the design of a site. To enable the proposals for maintaining a sewerage system for its lifetime to be considered and discussed. The earlier these discussions the better. An assessment can be requested at any point before the S104 application is submitted. Allowing the developer to confirm the future owner and maintainer of the sewerage system “at the outset” to use as part of their planning application.

Design Construction Guidance (DCG)

DCG has become the guidance document for designing and constructing adoptable foul and surface water drainage systems. This includes pumping stations and rising mains.

Please see SSG Appendix C.

SuDS adoption

Guidance has been provided for the adoption of certain types of SuDS components now recognised as sewers. These components can be included within your Section 104 application as part of the adoptable design.

DCG covers the principles of SuDS adoption in more detail.

Levels of service

Defined levels of service have been outlined for each process in the Sector Guidance.

Full details can be found in SSG Appendix B and include:

Anglian Water has up to 7 calendar days to acknowledge a Section 104 application.
Following the first technical vetting of up to 28 calendar days, each subsequent vetting is limited to 14 calendar days.
Levels of service are specified for Anglian Water to arrange an inspection and to issue an appropriate certificate.

Diverted sewers

If your site includes a requirement to divert existing public sewers to enable the development, you can include these proposals within your Section 104 adoption application.

The Section 104 agreement that’s signed will refer to the diverted sewers as "The Second Schedule". Removing the need for a separate Section 185 diversion application.

All affected landowners would have to enter into the Section 104 agreement for this to be possible. Early discussions with the landowners is therefore highly recommended before making your application.

Conditional acceptance

A Conditional Acceptance can be provided at your request. Where certain elements of the site have met the DCG and where you wish to progress constructing the system before full Technical Acceptance has been granted.

This will enable the contractor to commence work and request an early start inspection on those parts of the scheme which have received Conditional Acceptance.

Some elements of a system may not be able to receive a Conditional Acceptance. Advice should be sought from Anglian Water beforehand.

Early start inspections

Anglian Water is able to offer early start inspections on site. Once Conditional Acceptance and/or full Technical Acceptance has been provided.

This early engagement on site should ensure that what goes in the ground meets the required standards. This will be beneficial for all parties.

Any proposed diversion works must have an agreement in place before any work on the existing system can be carried out.

Variations

This stage is designed to confirm any variations requested to the design of a system once Technical Acceptance or Conditional Acceptance has been granted. Any variations which do not impact on the network hydraulics can be agreed on site and recorded on the ‘As Constructed’ plans. All other variations will be dealt with by a formal re-submission.

Provisional certificates

Anglian Water will now issue a ‘Provisional Certificate - Full’ where no defects have been identified during the inspection. If remedial works have been identified, Anglian Water will issue a ‘Provisional Certificate - Defects’. Outlining any remedial works or defects that need to be remedied.

SSG procedures expects all defects to be completed by the Developer within six months.

Local practices

SSG allows Anglian Water to introduce a local practice in certain permitted areas where our operational requirements are not adequately covered in the DCG.

Anglian Water has now implemented a local practice for pumping stations, effective as of 22nd June 2020. Our published document can be found here.

Where a pumping station forms part of the design, there'll be a requirement for telemetry equipment to be installed and commissioned. This will incur additional costs to the 2.5% supervision fee. Please see our telemetry page for further information

Construction details

Anglian Water has removed its standard construction details following the introduction of the DCG. We request that your design ensures compliance with the details provided in the DCG and reference to these is made in your application drawings.

Where construction details for some drainage assets are not provided in the DCG (such as flow control chambers), we've provided a preferred arrangement drawing. Please refer to our Designing a public sewer webpage for further information.

As built drawing requirements

An as built drawing will need to be provided for all adoptable assets. We've detailed the requirements in our guide.

Inspections

Our helpful team of dedicated Development Services Representatives are on hand to provide all levels of support throughout the adoption process. Each representative covers a specific geographical area. Give us a call on 03456 066 087 to confirm which representative you'll need to contact.

Privately owned sewer

Do you live in a residential area where the sewers are privately owned?

If you and your neighbours would like us to adopt an existing sewer, you can submit an application in InFlow. Please register for an account and click on Drainage to apply for “Adoption of existing sewer”. You'll be asked to upload plans and details of the sewers for initial consideration. We'll review these details and respond to you confirming which sewers can be progressed further through the adoption process. There are charges associated to this process if adoption of the sewers is possible. See our charges page for further information.

This service is available to the owner of any private sewer or pumping station who'd like to put these forward for adoption by the water company.

You asked, what we heard

We understand that the adoption process may pose unanswered questions for you. We're happy to respond to all questions individually. Please send these to drainage@anglianwater.co.uk with 'Sewer Adoption Question' in the subject line.

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