Drain and Sewer Definitions

A drain is a pipe that serves the purpose of draining water and waste from a building and any other associated structures like a garage.

A lateral drain, on the other hand, is a pipe that carries wastewater from your property to a sewer. It is usually located outside the boundaries of your property, often beneath a public pavement or road. In some cases, a lateral drain may run beneath your property if you share a sewer with your neighbour.

A sewer is a network of pipes that collects water and waste from multiple drains and various buildings. Most sewers are operated and maintained by water companies. Some properties are not connected to a sewer but rely on alternative systems like a cesspool, septic tank, or treatment plant for wastewater disposal. In such cases, the property owners are not required to pay sewerage charges to a sewerage company. The pipework connections in these cases would be defined as drains.