Has anyone else received a pamphlet from Thames Water confirming that they (Thames Water) are now responsible for the section of drain which runs from the boundary of a property to the main sewer under the road? (It's also mentioned on the TW website)

I was quite surprised to discover that until now my responsibility actually included the section of drain which runs under the pavement and partly out under the road too.

They initially say that this change of responsibility is good news for the property owner since they no longer have to worry about the upkeep of the said section of drain - but then in the next paragraph (in the pamphlet) they say that they estimate that this change of responsibility will cost the property owner between £3 and £14 per year!

This is rather interesting because we are already paying some building insurance premiums to cover the cost of repairs to our drains - typically the section running from the house, under the garden to the boundary.

I wonder if the premium we have been paying up until now actually included the section that Thames Water are now taking over? And I wonder if the insurance companies will now revise their cover to exclude the said section?

One thing for sure, property owners now face the possibilty of paying twice for the upkeep of their drains.