How do I reduce my surface water and highway drainage charges?

There are a number of ways to reduce your surface water and highway drainage charges, for example, by reducing your chargeable site area or, if you are eligible, with a lower tariff under one of our concessionary schemes.

Please remember that your charges will only be reduced if your new chargeable site area falls within a lower surface water or highway drainage charging band and will also depend on your contract with your retailer. Before making any changes, or to confirm what discounts you may be eligible for, we advise you to speak to your water retailer.

You may be able to reduce your surface water and highway drainage charges by replacing chargeable surface types such as concrete, paving stones or tarmac, with one of the following non-chargeable categories, providing no surface water or groundwater drains either directly or indirectly to a public sewer from it:

• Permanently grassed
• Cultivated
• Landscaped

If more than 10% of your surface water does not drain to the public sewer (either directly or indirectly through a drain or watercourse), you may be eligible for a reduction in your surface water charges. The 10% of surface water that does not drain to the public sewer can come from a single area or several smaller areas within the boundary of your premises. If none of the surface water from your site enters the public sewer, you may not have to pay any surface water charges.

It is important to remember that any reduction will apply to your surface water charges only and not your highway drainage charges, so you may have different charging bands for the surface water and highway drainage charges.

If you believe that more that 10% of the surface water from your site does not drain to the public sewer you can contact your retailer to claim a reduction in your surface water charges.

If more than 10% of your surface water drains to the public sewer through a qualifying sustainable drainage system (SuDS), you could be eligible for an 80% reduction in your surface water chargeable area for the areas that drain through this system. You will need to be able to show that the drainage system has been installed and is being maintained in line with specific minimum standards.

For more information on qualifying SuDS and the standards for installing and maintaining them, see our website.

We offer two concessionary schemes for certain community groups and schools.

Community groups

Our concessionary scheme for community groups means you could have your surface water and highway drainage wholesale charges capped at charging band 1, regardless of your chargeable site area.

Your premises may be eligible for our concessionary scheme if its main use is as one of the following.

• Place of worship
• Scout and guides hall
• Sea cadets unit
• Community amateur sports club
• Village hall or community centre
• Cemetery
• Local authority park

Schools

Our concessionary scheme for schools is open to any educational establishment which is used only (mainly) for providing education and tuition to students in Key Stages 1 to 5, or equivalent, and also has a playground attached.

If we accept you on to this scheme, your chargeable site area will remain the same, but your surface water and highway drainage wholesale charges will be reduced. Please ask your retailer for details.