RCH Drainage
Northamptonshire · Drainage Services

Blocked drain? Fixed-price drainage help today.

Northamptonshire's local drainage company — blocked drains, CCTV surveys and 24/7 emergencies

A fixed call-out fee with no hidden costs. Your first hour on site covers diagnosis, rodding or jetting where suitable, and a CCTV camera check if needed. Call for a straight price over the phone.

  • 24/7 Emergency
  • Fixed Prices
  • Fully Insured
  • Qualified Engineers
Call now 01604 389 247Request a callback

Fixed call-out fee · Fully insured · 24/7 emergency cover

Fixed fee · No hidden costs

Fixed call-out fee — first hour covered

What's included

  • Attendance by a qualified engineer
  • Initial on-site diagnosis
  • Rodding or jetting where suitable
  • CCTV camera check if needed within the first hour

Further work is always quoted before we continue. You'll see the price before any additional work starts — no surprises.

Fully insured · Qualified engineers · Transparent pricing

Water authority check

Before you pay privately, we check whether the water company may be responsible.

Not every drainage issue on your property is your responsibility to fix. Shared drains, sewer connections and pipework near the boundary of your property can fall under the responsibility of your local water authority — Severn Trent Water, Anglian Water or Thames Water, depending on where you are in Northamptonshire — rather than yours.

Our engineers are trained to identify which side of that line your issue falls on. If we find that a problem is the water authority's responsibility rather than a private repair, we tell you immediately — before any private repair work goes ahead, not after you've already paid for it.

What we provide

  • An on-the-spot assessment of whether the issue is private or the water authority's responsibility
  • A full written report on request, with photographic evidence
  • That report is yours to use if you want to pursue a claim to recover costs you've already paid privately for what turns out to be a water authority responsibility

Why this matters

Drainage boundary disputes are common and most homeowners have no way to check who's actually responsible without paying for an assessment first. We build that check into every job at no extra cost — it's part of how we diagnose the problem, not an upsell.

Drainage emergency? Sewage backing up or flooding? Our 24/7 emergency line is answered by a real engineer.

Call 24/7: 01604 389 247
Real results

See the difference

A gully we cleared in Northamptonshire, before and after.

After clearing, the same roadside gully chamber cleaned out to reveal the open channels and cracked clay sides.Before clearing, a cracked roadside gully chamber filled with standing water, soggy wipes and compacted debris.
BeforeAfter
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What we do

What we fix

From a slow kitchen sink to a flooded driveway, we diagnose the cause, fix it properly, and leave the site clean.

Real jobs

On the job

Recent drainage work carried out across live sites and residential streets.

Blocked drain being cleared with jetter in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
Cleared drainage chamber after jetting, Northamptonshire
Manhole inspection and cleaning in Leicestershire
Blocked gully cleared of builder's debris in Northampton
Drainage blockage cleared in Northampton, Northamptonshire
Northampton

Drainage blockage clearance

Attended a full blockage in the drainage run caused by heavy black material poured into the system, likely grout or construction material. Not a standard first-hour clearance — the material was extremely stubborn and took serious effort to break down and remove. All affected manholes and drainage lines were fully cleaned, followed by a CCTV survey confirming the lines were clear with no further defects. Full evidence (photos, video, CCTV footage) and a drainage report were completed for insurance purposes.

Read the full case study
Emergency sewer blockage cleared in Market Harborough, Leicestershire
Market Harborough

Emergency drainage works

Attended an emergency call following a full main sewer blockage backing up through multiple manholes. To keep costs down and speed up the works, overpumping was set up instead of tankering until the surcharge was released and the blockage could be safely worked on. A large lump of tarmac was removed from the system, relieving the full run. All manholes were cleaned using a tanker and jetting van, followed by a full CCTV survey confirming the main was clear with no further defects. A full diary of works — including photographic and video evidence — was issued to the developer to review the cause and recover costs where required. All works completed within 1 day.

Read the full case study
Blocked drain cleared on a new build site in Northampton, Northamptonshire
Northampton

Drainage blockage cleared (new build site)

Attended a new build site in Northampton after a drainage run became blocked by what appeared to be resin, grout or similar construction material that had entered the system. The affected manhole and line were cleared, with the hardened material removed and collected as evidence. The system was then cleaned through to restore flow and prevent further backing up. Dealt with quickly and completed within the first hour, avoiding further disruption on site. Photos taken throughout to evidence the cause for the developer's records.

Read the full case study
Man-entry concrete blockage removal from a drainage manhole on a Northamptonshire housing development
Northamptonshire

Concrete blockage removal from drainage manhole

Called to a housing development in Northamptonshire to investigate and clear a drainage manhole that had become completely obstructed. During construction activity a significant quantity of concrete and construction material had entered the drainage system, accumulating within the manhole and drainage channel and restricting the pipework to the point the system could no longer function correctly. Inspection identified a substantial build-up of hardened concrete, sediment and construction debris around the drainage channel and pipe connections. Because of the quantity and position of the material, conventional drain jetting alone wasn't suitable — access into the chamber was required to tackle the blockage directly. The RCH Drainage team carried out controlled man-entry works to access the affected area. The concrete and compacted material were progressively broken down and physically removed from around the drainage channel and pipework, exposing and clearing the affected drainage route.

Read the full case study
Inside a residential drainage manhole in Northampton showing accumulated silt and debris in the base of the chamber with the step irons visible
Northampton

Blocked drain investigation — collapsed manhole lintel

Called to a residential property in Northampton after the homeowner experienced a serious blockage affecting their private drainage. What appeared to be a straightforward blocked drain required further investigation when the problem was traced to a downstream manhole, where a damaged or collapsed internal lintel had fallen into the chamber and contributed to a substantial build-up of waste and debris. Investigation followed the drainage route from the private system to the downstream chamber, identifying a significant accumulation of waste and debris around a damaged internal section of the manhole, including what appeared to be a collapsed lintel, restricting the system. RCH Drainage cleared the accumulated blockage and used high-pressure drain jetting to thoroughly clean the connected drainage lines, restoring flow. A CCTV drain survey was then carried out to check for additional defects and provide recorded evidence of the post-clearance condition. A full drainage evidence pack — CCTV footage and findings — was supplied to the homeowner, since the defect appeared to sit downstream of their private drainage, giving them documentation for contacting the relevant sewer authority (e.g. Anglian Water) to establish responsibility.

Read the full case study
Green tracing dye flowing through a pipe joint in a drainage manhole during a dye test in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire

Drainage dye testing — no crossed connections

Carried out drainage dye testing in Northamptonshire on behalf of a housebuilder, working alongside the local authority to verify drainage connections and establish whether any crossed connections were present. No jetting or CCTV survey was needed — a controlled dye test provided the evidence required. Uncertainty over exactly where individual drainage connections discharged, with the possibility of foul and surface water systems being crossed, meant a tracing dye was introduced at a selected drainage point and the downstream network monitored to establish where the coloured water appeared, confirming the drainage routes. No crossed connections were identified — all parties were satisfied, and no further jetting or CCTV work was required.

Read the full case study
The process

Sorted in three steps

  1. 01

    Call us

    Tell us the problem. We answer 24/7.

  2. 02

    Free quote

    We diagnose and give you a fixed price before any work starts.

  3. 03

    Fixed-price fix

    We clear it, test it, and leave the area clean.

Cutaway illustration of a CCTV survey crawler camera inside a drain, with the live monitor on the surface above.
How a CCTV drain survey works, from crawler to live screen.
Coverage

Covering Northamptonshire & Beyond

Based in Northamptonshire, serving the wider Midlands region. Fast response across every area.

Not listed? We almost certainly cover you. Give us a call.

Reviews

What local customers say

5.0Based on 3 Google reviews
"These guys were recommended to me by a friend after I'd been given a much higher quote elsewhere. They came from Northampton to Coventry and sorted out cleaning all my manholes and pipes. The smell had been terrible in the hot weather and I couldn't even sit out in the garden. Since they cleaned everything, there's been no smell at all. Really happy with the service, fair price and no trying to add extra work on. Many thanks, highly recommend!!"
Joanne Hopkins · Google review
"Called RCH drainage after our downstairs toilet was overflowing and we literally did not know what to do, was so understanding and helpful over the phone and managed to get to us the same afternoon, with very clear and fair pricing of the job and there rapid response to resolving our issue I would very highly recommend using these guys."
Adam · Google review
"Great service from RCH Drainage. They cleared a blocked drain at my property in Northampton, quickly and professionally. Good communication, honest pricing, and everything was left clean and tidy. Highly recommend."
Fiona Denisa · Google review
Read more reviews on Google
Cross-section illustration of a home's drainage system, showing kitchen and bathroom waste pipes flowing into the main sewer.
From kitchen and bathroom to the main sewer, where blockages usually form.
Your drains

How a typical home drains

Waste from your sinks, toilets and showers feeds into a single main run, then out to the public sewer. Most blockages happen at the bends, the gully outside, or the inspection chamber. We work the whole length, not just the visible bit.

If the same drain keeps blocking, a CCTV survey shows exactly why, often a root, collapse or fat build-up that needs jetting rather than rodding.

Get a fixed price
Advice

Latest advice from our engineers

Practical, plain-English guides on the drainage problems we get called out to most.

See all guides
FAQ

Common questions

Contact

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