What Sydney Property Owners Against Sydney Water Are And Are Not Responsible For At Your Property

Ever had the experience of taking on Sydney Water regarding a broken pipe or wastewater blockage? They if the answer is yes, you will understand how many things need to be met before you as the home/property owner are completely in the right.

It’s a topic sadly many experiences and one that we at APT Plumbing hear oh too often. We understand the stress this brings and we are at the ready to bring to you a professional plumbing solution to your troubles. We will happily work with you as the homeowner to determine who is responsible for damage with collapsed pipes and wastewater pipe blockages at your property.

What Causes Wastewater Blockages Tco Occur?

The biggest cause of wastewater blockages in pipes is from tree roots. Tree roots will enter your pipes through the smallest crack and then feed and grow wildly on nutrient rich water and waste. This is the worst thing to have in your pipes as they continue to madly grow and fully block pipes making it impossible for any liquid to pass.

Several signs of a tree root blockage may be:

• Slow drainage down drains.
• Smelly drains in the home or around the property.
• Gurgling noises in drains.

One of the biggest things to block wastewater is flushing the wrong things down the toilet. The only things that should be flushed down the toilet should be 3 P’s: pee, poo and (toilet) paper. Never use flushable wipes which sound amazing but are not suited to being flushed away as they will eventually lead to creating havoc with your sewerage pipes.

If planting leaf plants and shrubs in the garden beds you should first look on your house plans and note exactly where the pipes are located. You should make sure you do not plant trees within 6 metres of any wastewater pipes within the boundary of your property. The last thing you need is a blocked sewer from plants in the garden as you will need to have the issue resolved immediately. If you plan on buying new plants, you should check with the nursery to make sure you buy plants that will not have root systems that will attack your pipes.

If you purchase an established property with trees that have been established for a long time close to wastewater pipes, APT Plumbing suggests that you call us to perform a CCTV pipe inspection to check the inside of the pipe system and if needed carry out any necessary repairs before they lead to major plumbing issues. This will indicate if there are any trees close to pipes or causing issues already with your pipes and if required carry out any repairs needed. At APT Plumbing we are an experienced sewer tree root removal service within the Sydney area, that will clear the pipes and have the system back in working order as soon as possible.

What Are You Responsible For As A Homeowner?

As a homeowner its often hard to gain information of what you are and are not responsible for as a property owner. It is your responsibility to maintain all wastewater pipes and fittings between the property you own and the connection with Sydney Wastewater System. This also includes your own privately owned sewerage equipment.

It’s you as the property owner who is responsible to make sure that absolutely no rainwater enters the wastewater system. Sydney Water’s wastewater system may be outside your property line. If you are unsure, you can make contact with Sydney Water and they will be able to provide this information for you.

Should the fault be determined to belong to Sydney Water then it is their responsibility to repair the fault at their cost. However, if it has been determined that you have contributed to the fault for example by planting root bearing plants then in this case it may be determined that you are liable for the cost of the repairs.

Sydney Water may repair the collapsed wastewater pipes that make part of the wastewater system however if it is able to be repaired without excavation, then you as the property owner will remain liable for the cost of the repair. Sydney Water will not reimburse any plumbing costs at all. Additionally, Sydney Water will not supply the service for unauthorised wastewater system that have been installed contrary to applicable codes, regulations or guidelines.

As the homeowner, in the event of a wastewater pipe blockage, you are the one responsible for any private wastewater blockages on the property up to and including where the connection point is to Sydney Waters pipes. This blockage is likely to be in your private pipes if:

• There is no flooding in your local area.
• The drainage isn’t shared with other properties.
• You are only experiencing an overflow when you use water within your property.
• You have checked and none of your neighbours have a blockage.

If this happens, we suggest you call us at APT Plumbing as we provide plumbing services in Sydney to all areas.

What Is Sydney Water Responsible For?

Sydney Water is responsible for the wastewater pipes up to the property connection point. You are likely to ha be a blockage in Sydney Waters’ pipes if:

• You experience continued overflow but no current use of water at the property is occurring.
• Your neighbours near you are experiencing the same issue.
• The overflow is visible on the property boundary for example from a maintenance hole located on public land.
• There is widespread flooding in your local area.

If you suspect that Sydney Water’s pips have a issue with damaged pipes then you can chat to them regarding a clean-up, repairs and possible alternative accommodation should your property have suffered flooding inside. They will also work with you to process a claim with insurance.

Can I make claims for out of pocket expenses?

The answer is YES! You can claim out-of-pocket expenses to Sydney Water.

• *If you are a customer and you have paid a licensed plumber who found the initial blockage in Sydney Water’s pipes.
• *If you are a licensed plumber and you have found a blockage in Sydney Water’s wastewater pipes.

You need to be mindful that there is a process to follow to be eligible for Sydney Water to give you a reimbursement. Additionally plumbers will only be reimbursed by Sydney Water if they have not charged the customer and received a payment.

Sydney Water also clearly mentions “We will not reimburse the property owner or the plumber for the work to investigate the fault on private wastewater pipes, or for any damages/claims arising from or related to the plumber’s work”.

There are many terms and conditions for the types of repairs that Sydney Water will take responsibility for. One that is often seen is “repairs on collapsed pipes where the collapse is not under a hard stand surface” (hard stand being footpath, asphalt, bitumen or similar)

Before You Make A Claim, You MUST Keep In Mind

• *Your APT Plumber calls Sydney Water on 13 20 9 to get a job number. This number must be included on the form.
• *You have all invoices and any supporting documents to attach to the form
• *You provide a timesheet or evacuation details if the invoice does not give a detailed account of the work completed.
• *You read Sydney Water’s “Claiming for wastewater blockages guide.

If APT Plumbing has identified that your private sewer pipe has collapsed under a public road or footpath, then Sydney Water may be able to assist with the repair through the Collapsed Private Service in Public Land Program.

This repair program helps residential customers when the only way to repair a collapsed private sewer pipes to fully block the road or footpath. While this program is free, it isn’t available to all customers, only those that have been deemed eligible will be successful as it is subject to certain terms and conditions. Sydney Water is unable to perform immediate emergency repairs under the program, so you should contact us at APT Plumbing if the issue is deemed urgent. Licensed plumbers are also able to source the equipment that is needed to perform excavations and repairs on private services and are authorised to do this work.

Apt Plumbing is an affordable plumbing service across all parts of the Sydney area that has plumbers available 24/7.