Home owners or the council: who is responsible for your blocked drains?

Blocked drains can be the source of major annoyance in your home. Though it’s easy to assume that the cause is a result of an issue on your premises, your problem may actually be up to your local council to fix.

Read on for a general guide as to what your responsibilities are, and aren’t when it comes to blocked drains.

According to Sydney Water, the responsibility lies between two parties:

• You, or the owner of home
• The council in which the premises is situated within

Homeowner responsibilities

As a homeowner, you’re responsible for certain facets of your plumbing system. In short, this includes the maintenance of pipes and fittings on your property, up to their connection of council water, wastewater and stormwater networks.

Said pipes and fittings include private pipes and taps associated with:

• Stormwater
• Private water (including all pumps, tanks, and any other materials to do with)
• Wastewater

Additionally, private pipes that service your premises are still your responsibility, even if they’re not situated within your boundaries.

With regard to the water meter on your property, you hold a duty of care over it; ensure it’s not damaged and in working order, as well as accessible for the council to undertake quarterly readings.

In the event of water meter damage, there’s a possibility that you may be charged to have it fixed.

If you’re experiencing an issue with your private plumbing and drainage system, contact a licenced plumber.

Council responsibilities

For all piping and associated system structures that provides service to you, your local council is responsible.

You may be able to receive a free repair for council-connecting water networks, as long as the problem resides less than a metre inside your property.

However, this repair service isn’t applicable in some instances, including:

• Damage/problems concerning wastewater pipes
• Piping which is difficult to access
• Issues to do with non-authorised linkages

Supplementary reading

At Pure Plumbing Pros, we have plenty of expert information available in all areas of plumbing. Some additional reading associated with this content can be found by following these links:

• What causes blocked drains?
• How do I prevent blocked drains?
• ‘Flushable’ wipes are causing widespread blockages

Resources

All information on this page is derived from advice communicated by Sydney Water: http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SW/your-home/moving--renovating---building/general-plumbing-information/index.htm