Overflowing Road Gully in Richmond: Who Should You Report It To?

Overflowing Road Gully in Richmond: Who Should You Report It To?

There is standing water at the kerb. The grate is gurgling like something is trying to escape. You are wondering whether to call the council, a drainage company, or simply pretend you did not see it and drive away very slowly.

Good news: the answer is usually straightforward once you know which type of drain you are actually looking at.

First, What Kind of Drain Is It?

Not every drain in Richmond belongs to the same organisation, and that matters enormously for who fixes it.

Highway gullies (street drains)

These are the iron grates set into the kerb or road surface. They collect rainwater and surface run-off from the public highway. In Richmond, the highway drainage network is maintained by the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. If a highway gully is blocked or overflowing, reporting it to the council is the correct first step.

Public sewers

Beneath Richmond’s streets runs a separate network of foul and combined sewers. These are the responsibility of Thames Water, not the council. An overflowing manhole cover in the road, or sewage backing up from a public sewer, should be reported to Thames Water on their 24-hour line (0800 316 9800).

Private drains and driveway gullies

If the overflowing gully sits on your driveway, in your car park, or serves only your property (or a shared private road), it is almost certainly a private drain. Private drains are the owner’s responsibility, full stop. The council will not attend, and Thames Water will not attend. This is where a private drainage contractor comes in.

How to Report a Highway Gully to Richmond Council

Richmond Council uses an online reporting tool called My Richmond (also referred to as “Report It” on the council website). You can submit a highway drainage fault at richmond.gov.uk. You will need to describe the location as precisely as possible, ideally with a street name and the nearest property number or landmark.

The council’s highways team inspects and clears blocked road gullies as part of routine maintenance. Response times vary depending on severity. A gully that is causing active flooding on a busy road will be prioritised differently from one that is simply slow to drain after heavy rain.

What the council will not do: attend a private drain, clear a gully on a private road, or deal with a public sewer overflow (that is Thames Water’s job).

When Is It a Leaves-and-Litter Problem vs a Deep Blockage?

This is a fair question, and it is worth thinking about before you make any calls.

A thin layer of leaves sitting on top of a grate can slow drainage noticeably, especially after autumn storms around Richmond Park and the riverside. If the water clears within a few minutes of rain stopping, surface debris is the likely culprit. The council’s scheduled gully-cleaning programme should handle it over time, though you can still report it.

A deep gully blockage is different. The gully pot (the chamber below the grate) fills with silt, grit and debris over months. When it is full, water has nowhere to go and backs up onto the road surface even in light rain. This requires a jet-vac tanker to clear, not a broom. That is a job for the council’s contractor on a public road, or a private drainage contractor on private land.

Do not attempt to lift manhole covers or gully grates yourself. Beyond the obvious physical risks, you could expose yourself to hazardous gases or create a road safety hazard. Report it and let the right people attend with the right equipment.

When to Call Drainiacs Instead

If the overflowing drain is on private land, including a shared private road, a driveway, a car park, or within the curtilage of a commercial or residential property, Drainiacs is the relevant call.

We cover the full TW postcode area including Richmond, Twickenham, Kew, Petersham and the surrounding areas. We use high-pressure water jetting (a powerful flush that clears blockages from inside the pipe) and CCTV drain surveys (a camera inspection that shows exactly what is causing the problem and where) to diagnose and clear private drainage problems.

Indicative costs for a private gully clearance in the Richmond area typically start from around £90 to £150 for a straightforward jet-clear, rising if a CCTV survey or follow-up work is needed. We will always give you a clear price before starting.

Quick Reference: Who to Call

Problem	Who to contact
Blocked highway gully (public road)	Richmond Council via My Richmond
Public sewer overflow or manhole	Thames Water: 0800 316 9800
Private driveway or car park gully	Drainiacs: 07700 137648
Unsure which category applies	Drainiacs can advise: 07700 137648

If You Are Dealing With an Emergency Right Now

If a private drain is actively flooding your property, do not wait for a council response that will not come. The council has no remit on private drainage, and Thames Water’s remit ends at the public sewer boundary.

Call us on 07700 137648. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we cover Richmond and the wider TW area. We will tell you honestly whether the problem is ours to fix or whether you need to redirect your report to the council or Thames Water.