When purchasing a residential property in England or Wales, what lies beneath the ground is just as critical as the brickwork above. A drainage and water search, specifically the official CON29DW report, is a fundamental component of the conveyancing process. It ensures you are fully aware of how a property interacts with the local water infrastructure before you finalise your contract.
Surface water flooding has become a serious issue in recent times in England and Wales, and so good access to drainage is highly important. If you're buying a house, it is important to check how this will affect your property. Your conveyancing solicitor will read your water and drainage search and advise you if any matters of concern are flagged up.
What is a water and drainage search?
Developed by the Law Society alongside the water industry in 2002, the CON29DW is a standardised property search compiled directly from statutory water authority records. Unlike generic "regulated" or personal drainage searches, a genuine CON29DW utilises direct water company billing and asset data, offering comprehensive legal indemnities (often up to £10 million) to protect buyers and legal professionals.
The report uses precise mapping and factual data to provide definitive answers to 23 standard questions. It focuses entirely on public infrastructure, mapping out the precise layout of public water mains, lateral drains, and public sewers relative to the property's boundary.
Why do buyers need a water search?
If you are buying with a mortgage, then your solicitor has an obligation to carry out the Water and Drainage Search. The guidance for this is within the Mortgage Lenders' Handbook.
5.4.1: In carrying out your investigation, you must ensure that all usual and necessary searches and enquiries have been carried out. You must report any adverse entry to us but we do not want to be sent the search itself.
5.4.2: In addition, you must ensure that any other searches which may be appropriate to the particular property, taking into account its locality and other features are carried out.
Source: UK FInance: Mortgage Lenders' Handbook for Conveyancers
You cannot buy a house with a mortgage without this search because your solicitor needs the information within the report to satisfy this requirement of the lender. If you are a cash buyer, you can proceed without the search at your own risk.
What is included within the Con29DW Report?
The standard Law Society-approved CON29DW report is split across four core technical sections. The report includes 25 questions (including critical sub-enquiries) that cover critical infrastructure details. The complete list of questions answered by the water authority records includes:
1.1 Where relevant, please include a copy of an extract from the public sewer map.
1.2 Where relevant, please include a copy of an extract from the map of waterworks.
2.1 Does foul water from the property drain to a public sewer?
2.2 Does surface water from the property drain to a public sewer?
2.3 Is a surface water drainage charge payable?
2.4 Does the public sewer map indicate any public sewer, disposal main or lateral drain within the boundaries of the property? (High Risk Flag)
2.4.1 Does the public sewer map indicate any public pumping station or ancillary apparatus within the boundaries of the property? (Critical Risk Flag)
2.5 Does the public sewer map indicate any public sewer within 30.48 metres (100 feet) of any buildings within the property?
2.5.1 Does the public sewer map indicate any public pumping station or any other ancillary apparatus within 50 metres (164.04 feet) of any buildings within the property? (Moderate Risk Flag)
2.6 Are any sewers or lateral drains serving or which are proposed to serve the property the subject of an existing adoption agreement or an application for such an agreement?
2.7 Has a Sewerage Undertaker approved or been consulted about any plans to erect a building or extension on the property over or in the vicinity of a public sewer, disposal main or drain? (High Risk Flag)
2.8 Is any building which is, or forms part of the property, at risk of internal flooding due to overloaded public sewers? (Critical Risk Flag)
2.9 Please state the distance from the property to the nearest boundary of the nearest sewage treatment works. (Moderate Risk Flag)
3.1 Is the property connected to mains water supply?
3.2 Are there any water mains, resource mains or discharge pipes within the boundaries of the property? (High Risk Flag)
3.3 Is any water main or service pipe serving, or which is proposed to serve the property, the subject of an existing adoption agreement or an application for such an agreement?
3.4 Is this property at risk of receiving low water pressure or flow? (Moderate Risk Flag)
3.5 What is the classification of the water supply for the property?
3.6 Please include details of the location of any water meter serving the property.
4.1.1 Who is responsible for providing the sewerage services for the property?
4.1.2 Who is responsible for providing the water services for the property?
4.2 Who bills the property for sewerage services?
4.3 Who bills the property for water services?
4.4 What is the current basis for charging for sewerage and/or water services at the property?
4.5 Will the basis for charging for sewerage and water services at the property change as a consequence of a change of occupation?
What is the Difference Between an Official and Regulated Water Search?
Your conveyancer will obtain either an Official CON29DW Search or a Regulated (Personal) Water Search. The differences between the two are as follows:
Official CON29DW Search
Regulated (Personal) Water Search
Compiled directly by the water company responsible for the property's region (such as Thames Water or Severn Trent). It relies on their live internal asset-mapping systems and exact customer billing databases.
Universally accepted by 100% of banks and mortgage lenders across England and Wales without exception.
An official CON29DW comes with robust, underwritten statutory guarantees directly from the water authority. If the official water authority records are inaccurate, the utility provider is legally obligated to step in and put the physical situation right, even if that means expanding infrastructure or diverting public sewers entirely at their own expense.
Compiled by an independent, private search agency. A representative inspects the public water records available under the Water Industry Act 1991. Because private searchers lack access to proprietary corporate billing records, details like exact water meter locations or precise billing connection flags are often inferred from proximity maps or left out entirely.
Accepted by the majority of mainstream high-street lenders, but several strict financial institutions explicitly reject them, meaning you may have to pay for a second, official report before finalising your mortgage funds.
Regulated searches are backed by the private search provider's personal Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII). These reports routinely carry heavy disclaimers limiting liability for third-party water authority data errors. If an unmapped public sewer line is later discovered beneath a home extension, recovering compensation from a private insurer can be a complex legal hurdle.
Expert Tip: Not all lenders allow regulated water searches
Also known as "personal searches", not all mortgage lenders will allow you to have a regulated search. You can use you lender checker below to confirm if your lender allows for regulated searches:
Does your lender accept regulated Personal Searches?
Select your lender from the dropdown and check whether they accept regulated searches or require official searches from the Local and Water Authorities.
Andrew Boast FMAAT
CEO of SAM Conveyancing
What are the different types of water authority enquiries?
TYPE
What is the cost of a Con29DW Report?
The cost varies between the water authorities in England & Wales. The most expensive is Leep Utilities, and the cheapest is Northumbrian Water. Here's the complete list of water boards/authorities, their costs, and turnaround times.
Water Board / Authority
Official CON29DW Fee (Inc. VAT)
Typical Turnaround Time
Leep Utilities
£84.00 (£70.00 Ex VAT)
1–3 working days
Thames Water
£83.40 (£69.50 Ex VAT)
1–3 working days
Anglian Water (Geodesys)
£78.00 (£65.00 Ex VAT)
1–2 working days
Severn Trent Water
£76.20 (£63.50 Ex VAT)
1 working day
Southern Water
£69.78 (£58.15 Ex VAT)
1–3 working days
Wessex Water
£68.68 (£57.23 Ex VAT)
1–3 working days
South West Water
£68.29 (£56.91 Ex VAT)
1–3 working days
Yorkshire Water (SafeMove)
£66.00 (£55.00 Ex VAT)
1–3 working days
United Utilities
£63.90 (£53.25 Ex VAT)
1–3 working days
Welsh Water (Dŵr Cymru)
£58.80 (£49.00 Ex VAT)
1–3 working days
Northumbrian Water (inc. Essex & Suffolk Water)
£56.80 (£47.33 Ex VAT)
1–3 working days
Some lenders require buyers to order this search directly from the relevant water company and not a search company, as a water company will have greater access to data. However, search companies are invariably insured for indemnity should a lack of data result in a disaster and a search company’s water and drainage search is normally less expensive.
Where applicable, maps can be provided in this report. These include Public Sewer Plans and Waterworks Plans. This report will only highlight public water lines and drains, as the only ones the local water authority is responsible for. Should there be any private supply pipes or drains within the property's boundary, the buyer is responsible for further investigating how this affects the property.
Drainage
Do the records inspected indicate that foul water from the property drains to a public sewer?
Do the records inspected indicate that surface water from the property drains to a public sewer?
Does the Public Sewer Map indicate any public sewer, disposal main or lateral drain within the boundaries of the property?
Does the Public Sewer Map indicate any public sewer within 30.48 metres (100 feet) of any buildings within the property?
Does the Public Sewer Map indicate that sewers or lateral drains serving or which are proposed to serve the property the subject of an existing adoption agreement or an application for such an agreement?
Water
How can the drinking water quality for the area be checked?
Do the records inspected indicate the property is connected to mains water supply?
Are there any water mains, resource mains or discharge pipes within the boundaries of the property?
Charging
Who are the sewerage undertakers for this area?
Who are the water undertakers for the area?
Getting a water and drainage search is essential as it tells you if the property is connected to the main water supply and drainage. If that is not the case, extra costs will be incurred to manage the property. This information might deter buyers from going ahead with the transaction.
For example, if you're interested in buying a newly built property, it is recommended to check if the development has an adoption agreement in place with the local water authority. If not, you might be forced to invest in private water supply and drainage options.
Fixed fee of £106 INC VAT | Delivered within 3-14 days
Andrew Boast FMAAT is a qualified accountant, conveyancing specialist and author with over 25 years of experience in the UK property sector. Since beginning his career in 2000 within established SRA and CLC-regulated conveyancing solicitor firms, Andrew has overseen the legal journeys of more than 75,000 clients.
He is the self-published author of the first-time buyer guide: How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone, and a frequent contributor to mainstream UK media on legislative updates, property law, first-time buyer guides, conveyancing best practices, and stamp duty changes. Andrew specialises in resolving complex title issues, property conflict disputes, and property tax options, streamlining the enquiry process to reduce transaction times and maintaining a client-friendly focus.
Amanda Ambler is a highly accomplished conveyancing specialist with over 15 years of dedicated experience across residential property law, legal compliance, and practice management. Having held senior roles, including Head of Legal Practice and Head of Conveyancing at established UK law firms, Amanda possesses a profound, hands-on understanding of the technical intricacies of the property market.
As the designated Legal Content Reviewer for SAM Conveyancing, Amanda ensures that every guide, legal update, and resource published meets the absolute highest standards of accuracy, regulatory compliance, and factual integrity. Her rigorous review process guarantees that complex property legislation and industry processes are communicated clearly, transparently, and safely for home buyers and sellers alike.
