Homes and drains in Blackburn
Blackburn grew on cotton weaving, and much of the town is still the housing built for the mills: long rows of Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often two-up two-downs, packed close together with a back alley behind each row. Beyond the centre are 1930s semis, post-war estates, and newer developments, including flats made from old mill buildings.
That mix means very different drains. The terraces were built when drainage meant clay pipe laid in short lengths with mortar or clay joints, and in many streets one drain under the back alley serves several houses. The post-war estates may have later pipe materials, and some homes built in the 1950s to 1970s have pitch fibre pipe, which can soften and deform. Older areas also tend to have one sewer carrying both foul and surface water, which struggles in heavy rain.
The drain problems that come with it
In practice, the problems to look out for in Blackburn are:
- Shared back-alley drains that block, so one house's problem backs up into its neighbours
- Old clay runs with open or displaced joints that let in roots and silt
- Fat, grease and wipes building up in drains that were never designed for modern use
- Tree roots in the leafier parts of the town, such as the roads around Pleasington and Wilpshire
- Backing up in heavy rain where foul and surface water share one sewer
If your drain is shared with the neighbours
On a Blackburn terrace the first sign of a shared-drain blockage is often next door: a neighbour's toilet gurgles, or water rises in a gully in the alley. If that is happening, stop using water, lift the nearest chamber cover if you can do it safely and see whether it is full, and talk to the neighbours on the row. A full chamber with an empty one beyond it puts the blockage between the two. Then call us. We find where it is, clear it, and tell you whether the drain is yours, shared, or United Utilities' to deal with.
Postcodes covered and nearby areas
We cover the BB1 and BB2 postcode districts, including the town centre, Mill Hill, Audley, Intack, Livesey, Feniscowles, Pleasington, Wilpshire and Mellor, and nearby Rishton and Great Harwood (BB6). If you are on the edge of those, call and ask.
Our services in Blackburn
Every service is available in Blackburn. Pick the one that matches your problem, or call and the team will tell you which it is.