Everything that goes down the kitchen, laundry and bathroom sink or that's flushed down the toilet ends up in the sewerage system.
Putting the wrong things down the sewer can cause damage to the system and may result in blockages.
Signs you have a blocked sewer
You may have a blocked sewer if:
- your toilet isn’t flushing properly, or is draining slowly
- your drains are gurgling
- you notice a bad smell coming from your drains
- sewerage is spilling from your pipes.
What to do when you have a blocked sewer
Step 1: Determine boundary of responsibility
If you experience a blockage, the first thing to do is to work out whether it’s in your property’s pipes or within our service network. This will help you determine who to call for help.
When is it your responsibility?
Generally, any pipes and infrastructure from your house up to the ‘point of connection’ in either your front lawn or backyard, is considered your responsibility.
When is it City West Water’s responsibility?
Generally, any pipes and infrastructure from the ‘point of connection’ in either your front lawn or backyard to the sewer main is considered our responsibility.
Step 2: Fix the blockage
Once you know who is responsible for fixing the blockage, you can arrange for it to be fixed in the following ways:
When the blockage is your responsibility
If you have a slow draining toilet, sink or shower, the blockage is most likely in your property’s pipes so it’s best to call out a plumber to diagnose and fix the problem.
When the blockage is City West Water’s responsibility
If sewerage is spilling or you hear a bubbling sound from your fixtures, the blockage could be in our sewer system. Please call our Faults and Emergencies team on 132 642 to arrange an inspection by one of our maintenance team. If the blockage is our pipes, we will fix this and cover all reasonable costs.