Clogged sewer

Do you have multiple drains in your home that aren’t draining properly? If so, the sewer line under your house or in your yard may be clogged.

The blockage could also be in the municipal sewer system or in the section between your home and the municipal sewer. To check this, the access point or the service line must be excavated. You can do this yourself or have a plumber do it.

The inspection chamber is the access point between your private sewer line and the municipal sewer system. If you’re not sure where the inspection chamber is located or where the problem lies, you can submit a request using the online “Sewer Maps” form. The municipality will then check whether this information is available

Is there no water in the inspection chamber or in the house connection pipe? Then the blockage is likely in the sewer system on your own property. In this case, you are responsible for clearing the blockage. For example, you can hire a sewer cleaning company. You will then be responsible for paying the costs yourself.

Is the drain trap or the house connection pipe full of water? Then the problem is likely outside your property, but in the municipal sewer system. In this case, please contact the municipality via the email address riolering@voorschoten.nl.  Please also include video footage and/or photos of the blockage. This will allow us to determine the exact location of the blockage and its cause. We will then visit you as soon as possible to assess the situation. If necessary, we will call in our contractor to clear the blockage

Please note: you are not permitted to dig in public areas yourself.

Cause of the blockage

If it turns out that you caused the blockage yourself, the Municipality of Voorschoten may recover the repair costs from you. This can happen if something has been flushed down the toilet or sink that does not belong there, such as frying fat, moist toilet paper, sanitary towels, tampons, medication residues, or cleaning wipes.

If you did not cause the blockage, you will pay nothing. For example, you will not receive a bill if the blockage was caused by tree roots (from trees in public spaces) or by a sagging or defective pipe. In this case, the costs are for the municipality. In such cases, previously incurred costs, such as plumber and camera inspection costs, can also be recovered from the municipality. For more information, visit the webpage Hold municipality liable.

Use the sewer only for its intended purpose. Very simply: what comes from the human body, dry toilet paper, and what can pass through the strainer in the sink is permitted in the sewer.