Land drainage

A riparian owner is defined in law as 'a person who owns land on the bank of a natural watercourse or body of water'. This includes small ditches.

If you are a riparian owner you have some rights and responsibilities with regards to the watercourse adjoining your land. There may be some circumstances in which these rights are affected by other law. You may also need third party permission to exercise some of your rights - this could be Waveney District Council or Environment Agency consents. The pages in this section are just a guide and you should make enquiries with the Council or Environment Agency before you do any work that affects the watercourse.