Drainage Services in Canterbury

Canterbury sits on chalk with the River Stour running through its centre, and beneath its medieval streets lie some of the oldest drainage arrangements in the county, in places dating back generations and altered many times as the city expanded. Chalk ground generally drains freely, but low-lying areas near the Stour, such as Wincheap and Sturry, can experience a raised water table after sustained rainfall, which affects shallow pipe runs and older combined sewers still present in the historic core.

Victorian terraces surrounding the city centre commonly retain original clay drainage, vulnerable to root ingress from the mature trees lining many residential roads, while post-war and later estates towards Thanington and Harbledown use more modern plastic pipework with better-defined falls. Given Canterbury's status as a heritage city, any excavation near listed buildings or scheduled monuments needs particular care and, where possible, is avoided in favour of less invasive repair methods.

In Canterbury we always start with a CCTV survey, both to diagnose the blockage and to understand what pipe materials and depths we are dealing with beneath sensitive heritage areas. High-pressure jetting clears root ingress and silt effectively, and no-dig lining is our preferred repair method here, allowing us to restore damaged pipework without disturbing historic pavements, city walls, or the foundations of older buildings.