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Gas, electricity, water and sewers: who to ask about a home's connections

We hold no data on a home's gas, electricity, water or sewer connections. Each is run by a different company, and each will tell you for free or for a small fee. Use the links on our pages to find the right one.

Who is responsible for what

• Water supply: the water company for the area supplies drinking water and owns the main under the street. The pipe from the boundary into the home is usually the owner's.
• Sewers: the sewerage company owns public sewers. It is often the same firm as the water company, but not always.
• Gas: the gas network (distribution network operator) owns the mains. Your supplier sells you the gas but does not own the pipes.
• Electricity: the district network operator owns the local cables and substations, whoever your supplier is.

Which firm serves a street depends on where it is, so check the finders rather than guessing from the postcode.

Public sewer maps: how to get them and what they cost

Sewerage companies hold maps of the public sewers near a property. Some give plans free to the person asking; others charge. Wessex Water, for example, provides plans through its network maps service. Conveyancers usually order a drainage and water search (CON29DW) from the water company instead, which is a paid search per property.

Check the current price on the company's own site; we have not verified the figures and they change.

What sewer maps do not show

• Private drains and sewers that serve only one home, which are the owner's responsibility.
• Some sewers and drains that were private before October 2011, when many transferred to water companies. Ask the company whether a sewer you care about is on its map.
• Whether a particular home is connected: a plan shows pipes nearby, not connections.

Checking gas and electricity

• Gas: ask the gas network, or the current owner or seller, whether the home is connected. Not every street has mains gas.
• Electricity: the Energy Networks Association's finder, or the free number 105, tells you the network operator for an address. Ask them about the connection, meter and capacity.
• A seller's property information form and a conveyancer's searches will also cover services.

Common questions

Who owns the sewer under my house?

It depends. Public sewers belong to the sewerage company. A pipe serving only your home is yours. Many shared private sewers and drains outside the boundary became the water company's in October 2011; ask the company.

Are public sewer maps free?

Some companies give them free to the person asking, others charge. Check the company's own site for the current price.

How do I find my electricity network operator?

Ring 105 free, or use the Energy Networks Association's finder.

Official sources

• Wessex Water: network maps (public sewer and water main plans) (accessed 2 October 2026)
• Water UK: find your water and sewerage company (accessed 2 October 2026)
• Energy Networks Association: Find my network operator (accessed 2 October 2026)
• Unda (a commercial explainer, not an official source): public sewer maps (accessed 2 October 2026)

General information, not legal, planning or surveying advice. Check with the council and a qualified professional before relying on it. Other guides: Flood zones 1, 2 and 3, Listed building grades (I, II*, II), Conservation areas, Article 4 directions, Tree preservation orders, Agricultural land grades.