Broken manhole covers

Report a broken manhole cover

A missing, broken or slippery cover within the highway is a safety defect. A rocking cover is a safety defect if the rocking is greater than 40 mm on a road and 20 mm on a pavement or cycleway.

We will record the defect and put signs and cones around it. Then:

• if the cover is our responsibility, we will repair, replace or adjust it within seven days
• if the cover is the responsibility of a statutory undertaker – usually a utility company – we will issue them with a defective ironwork notice and it is then their responsibility to ensure that all repairs are made

When reporting a broken manhole cover, if you can, tell us:

• where the cover is – is it outside a business, property or notable feature?
• where on the carriageway is the cover – is it on the road, pavement or verge?
• what is wrong with the cover – is it missing, broken or slippery?
• what shape is the cover – is it square, rectangle, triangle, circle?
• is there any information on the cover which says who owns it – does it say water or sewer?

Before you start

If you are reporting an emergency that is very likely to present an imminent threat to life or serious injury or serious damage to property please instead call us on 0345 155 1004.

When you are using the map, if you can see that the broken manhole cover you plan to report is already there, please use the option to ‘Add me to this broken manhole cover’ instead of creating a duplicate report.