Start with where the blockage sits
Responsibility depends on the pipe, not simply where dirty water appears. A toilet can back up inside your home because the fault is in your private drain, a shared drain or a public sewer farther away.
Check whether neighbours have the same problem. If several properties are affected, a shared drain or public sewer becomes more likely. If only one sink or toilet is slow, the problem may be within your own plumbing.
- One fitting affected: likely a local waste-pipe problem
- Several drains in one home affected: likely a private drain blockage
- Several homes affected: possible shared drain or public sewer
- Road gully flooded: report it to Leeds City Council
What the homeowner normally handles
Yorkshire Water says homeowners are normally responsible for pipes inside the property. This includes toilets, sink wastes, guttering and the private drain that runs towards a shared drain or public sewer.
A landlord normally arranges repairs in a rented home, although the tenancy and cause still matter. Tell the landlord or managing agent quickly and avoid causing more water to enter the blockage.
- Internal waste pipes and toilets
- Private drains serving only your property
- Private gullies, yards and parking areas
- Post-2011 shared drains unless formally adopted
When Yorkshire Water may be responsible
Yorkshire Water normally looks after public sewers, drains outside the property boundary that flow into a public sewer, and many shared drains serving homes built before 2011.
Report a public sewer problem directly. If you are unsure, a drainage engineer can help locate the likely boundary, but the water company makes the final decision on its network.
Road gullies are different
Leeds City Council maintains gullies on publicly maintained roads. A gully is the grated drain at the road edge. The council says gullies on private roads, car parks and non-council land are normally the landowner's responsibility.
After very heavy rain, a road gully may temporarily struggle even when it is not blocked. Report standing water that creates a hazard or remains after the rain has eased.
What to do now
Stop using affected toilets, sinks and appliances. Keep people away from sewage. Ask neighbours whether they have similar symptoms, then contact the party most likely to be responsible.
If the blockage appears to be private, professional drain unblocking can restore flow and show whether damage caused the problem.