Drainage Qualifications Guide: Everything You Need to Start a Career in Drainage

Drains are the unsung heroes of modern life - buried deep, working non-stop and dealing with everything we throw at them. That makes drainage a dependable industry, offering year-round work and the chance to build a long-term career. If you’re looking for a role with solid prospects, practical training and room to progress, Lanes offers plenty - along with a few perks you might not expect.

This industry runs on qualified people - groundworkers, engineers, driver-operators and the office teams who coordinate our projects. Everyone has a part to play, and the right drainage qualifications give you the edge to step in and move up.

In this guide, we break down the core drainage qualifications in the UK - from college courses and safety certifications to specialist drainage engineer training and HGV driving licences. We'll also tell you how we support new starters and seasoned pros alike - helping you build new skills, gain further qualifications and grow your career.

Core drainage qualifications and training

There’s no single route into drainage engineering. Some roles require a practical, more hands-on approach, while others call for formal study. Many drainage engineer positions ask for five GCSE grades, including maths and English. Two A-level grades in a related subject, such as geography, geology, geophysics or maths, can help if you're applying for higher-level training or a foundation degree. Courses in the built environment, environmental engineering or civil engineering can be usefu tool.

College or specialist institution courses in construction, drainage systems, or computer-aided design (CAD) are great for building relevant knowledge and skills. The following will also improve your chances of securing a role in the drainage industry:

OS19X training

The OS19X course is ideal for beginners looking to become CCTV surveying professionals. It teaches you how to assess sewerage systems and code defects using video and photo analysis. You’ll learn how to classify structural issues and service conditions across different types of drainage systems. This five-day drainage engineer course is part of many specialist training programmes.

The OS19X course is designed for those with no prior experience. Alternatives that offer equivalent qualifications include the OS20X three-day course for piped drains and sewers, designed for those with previous experience, and the OS21X three-day course, which focuses on classifying brick sewer conditions.

High-pressure water jetting certification

Our jet vac operators use cutting-edge high-pressure water jetting equipment to clear blockages and maintain pipes. This drainage engineer training covers personal protective equipment (PPE), operational safety, common injuries and equipment handling. Completing this course earns you a Water Jetting Association (WJA) Certificate and ID Card, valid for 60 months.

Construction Skills Certification Scheme card

If you want to work on construction sites, you’ll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme card. The course covers safety standards, fire prevention, manual handling and working at height. It’s available online and helps prove you're qualified to work in a professional drainage environment.

Confined spaces & New Road and Street Works Act

Many drainage engineer roles involve confined space entry, like working in sewers or manholes. The New Roads and Street Works Act training covers safe practices around public highways and underground installations. These courses give you critical skills for working on drainage installation, maintenance and repair projects.

WJA Blue & Red codes of practice

The WJA Blue Code relates to high-pressure and ultra-high-pressure water jetting. The Red Code focuses on sewer and drain applications. Both provide essential knowledge, though they aren’t formal qualifications. They're often included in specialist drainage training.

Driving qualifications for drainage engineers

Travel is a big part of a drainage engineer’s work. You’ll usually need a full UK driving licence with no more than three penalty points. For driver/operator roles at Lanes Group, you will need an HGV Class 2/Category C licence, which enables you to drive vehicles weighing over 3,500kg with trailers up to 750kg.

Health and safety training and certifications

IOSH Working Safely and Managing Safely

IOSH offers two of the most widely recognised safety training courses. The Level 1 Working Safely certificate covers the basics - perfect for those just starting in drainage. The Level 2 Managing Safely course focuses on risk assessments, incident investigation, team performance and compliance with environmental regulations. This is aimed at supervisors and team leaders.

NEBOSH National General Certificate

The NEBOSH National General Certificate is a Level 2 qualification in health and safety management. It takes around 10 days or 80–120 hours of study. You’ll learn how to complete workplace risk assessments, address physical and psychological hazards, and understand the environmental impact of drainage engineering.

Office-based drainage qualifications

Not every role in drainage involves working on-site. Skilled professionals in admin, HR, marketing and customer service play a vital role in maintaining our exceptional service levels.

AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting

This qualification is ideal for roles involving financial processes, report writing, tax, and cost accounting. It supports those aiming to work in drainage finance teams or contract admin roles. It typically takes 6–12 months.

CIPD Foundation Certificate in People Practice

This course helps you understand people management, leadership behaviours, business culture and analytics. It's useful for HR staff supporting drainage engineers across multiple projects. Study options range from 2 to 20 hours per week, over 7–9 months.

CIM Qualifications in Marketing and Communications

CIM courses support staff in customer communications, branding and digital marketing. These qualifications are particularly relevant to office-based roles that deal with customer experience, public relations or internal messaging.

Learn more about Lanes Group’s training and development support

Lanes offers one of the most comprehensive training packages in the UK drainage industry. From day one, you'll receive support to build your qualifications, expand your knowledge and grow into more complex drainage engineer roles.

As part of this, we provide in-house training and funding support for external courses to our workforce, both to help our existing staff to continue their development, and to make sure that new starters who do not necessarily have a background in drainage are able to get up to speed on what they need to know.

Our practical training and development support includes:

• Bespoke City & Guilds-accredited drainage engineer and CIPP pipe renovation courses
• Practical courses on high-pressure water jetting, street works and more
• WJA Blue and Red code of practice training
• The Igloo, a virtual reality training hub owned by Lanes Utilities at the CSC Centre in Slough, offering an immersive learning environment for sewer work
• Support for optional courses, including HGV Class 2 driving training and OS19X training

We also provide the following training for office-based roles:

• An NVQ in sales, admin and customer care through our training providers
• Hands-on training on our CRM and finance systems
• Institute of Leadership Management courses covering strategy formulation, HR, leadership behaviours and establishing team cultures
• Fully or part-funded courses including:

• Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) Level 3 Diploma
• CIPD Foundation Certificate in People Practice
• CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) Qualifications
• HGV Class 2 driving licence

To find out more about the training opportunities we provide, please visit our training and development information page. If you are interested in looking for a role with Lanes Group, you can explore our jobs, or contact us here.