Illegal sewerage connections

What should happen?

Melbourne's stormwater and sewerage systems, as in most Australian cities, are separate systems designed to operate independently. The stormwater or drainage system carries rainwater from streets and private properties and discharges it to local waterways and ultimately to the bay. The sewerage system carries sewage for treatment at the Western Sewage Treatment Plant, the Eastern Sewage Treatment Plant or at local sewage treatment plants. The sewerage system is designed with a generous 'safety' factor to enable the system to carry extra volumes of water which flow into the system during wet weather. In addition, specifically designed emergency relief structures (ERS) have been installed to enable overflows in extreme circumstances, when the system is overloaded, equipment fails or a sewer blocks. The emergency relief structures are located near watercourses to minimise the risk of sewage overflowing into streets or private property, and to dilute possible pollution. Why do sewers overflow? One cause of overflows is that some properties in Melbourne have their stormwater (mainly water runoff from roofs) going directly into the sewerage system. Drainage connections to the sewer are illegal and contribute to the overflow problem which threatens to pollute our waterways and bays. How do you tell if a house has an illegal connection? It is not easy to tell if a house has an illegal connection. However the following 'symptoms' are good indicators: Down-pipes from spouting going directly into the gully-trap; Houses where additions have been made, such as extra rooms, a patio, a garage or a carport and paved areas; The older the house the more likely that over time more illegal connections have been made; Houses where it is likely that 'do-it-yourselfers' have done some work. When a house suffers from any of the above symptoms, then we should be called. What should be done? Contact us, we will contact the Plumbing Industry Board. The Board will contact you with regard to rectifying the problem. You will need to arrange for a qualified plumber to carry out the work. What other factors cause overflows? Sewer overflows can also be caused by water leaking into the sewerage system through cracks or broken sewers, manholes and house service lines, poor pipe joints and low gully-traps.