Drainage Services in Mid Calder

For drainage in Mid Calder, call 07427 195142. Our base is in Pumpherston, the next village along, in the same EH53 postcode district. We unblock drains, carry out CCTV drain surveys and repair damaged pipes for homes and businesses in the village, from Bank Street and Market Street to the newer streets on the edges.

A close neighbour

Mid Calder sits on a steep hill above the River Almond and Calder Wood, about 15 miles west of Edinburgh. It was part of Midlothian until the 1970s and is now in West Lothian, in the East Livingston and East Calder council ward. That boundary change still confuses people, so to be clear: if you live in Mid Calder, West Lothian Council is your local authority and Scottish Water looks after the public sewers.

Being next to Pumpherston means short travel from our Pumpherston base. We will not promise an arrival time we cannot keep, but distance is on your side. If you are in East Calder or West Calder rather than Mid Calder, see our East Calder page or West Calder page.

Old village, old drains

The village has grown on a crossroads that has been in use since the eleventh century. The Kirk of Calder dates from 1541, Calder House has been the Sandilands family seat since 1348, and the original Torphichen Inn on Bank Street was built in 1763. Around them are cottages, villas and terraces of many ages, and newer housing further out.

Buildings of that age have usually had their drains altered more than once. Clay pipes with mortar joints, later extensions connected in, and runs that cross gardens or pass under outbuildings are all common. When a drain like that keeps blocking, the honest first step is a CCTV drain survey. The camera shows whether the problem is a build-up we can wash out, roots at a joint, or a crack that needs repair, and you get the footage and a written report.

Slopes, rain and surface water

Much of the village slopes down towards the Almond. On steep ground, water moves fast in wet weather and carries grit and leaves into gullies at the bottom of driveways and paths. Eastern Scotland averaged a little more rain each year than the UK as a whole over 1991 to 2020, and the ground here is glacial till over sedimentary rock, which does not always drain freely.

That makes a few jobs especially useful in Mid Calder:

• Clearing silted gullies and channel drains before winter
• Jetting surface water runs that have filled with grit
• Checking that a soakaway is still taking water
• Surveying the drain from a house at the foot of a slope where water collects

Blocked drains

Most drain blockages come down to the usual culprits: kitchen fat, wipes, and roots from mature gardens finding a weak joint. We clear them with rods for a single obstruction or high pressure water jetting to scour build-up off the pipe wall, then run water through to check the line is flowing. Our main drain unblocking page explains the methods.

Repairs that suit the pipe

If the survey finds a crack, an open joint or roots, the repair should match the defect. Where the pipe allows, a no-dig drain repair fixes the damage from inside without lifting a lawn or driveway. Where a section has collapsed, it may need to be dug out and replaced. Either way, we show you the footage first so you can see why we are recommending it. See drain repairs for more detail.

Businesses and community buildings

The village centre has shops, a pub and restaurant, and community buildings, all of which rely on drains that cope with heavier use than a house. Kitchens in particular build up grease over time. Planned cleaning keeps those runs open between busy periods, and our commercial drainage page explains what we offer. To arrange any visit in Mid Calder, phone or use the quote form on this page.

Questions