Sewer blockage or overflow

If your toilet won't flush or there is any wastewater overflowing at your home, you may have a leaky or blocked sewer. Find out who can help and what you should do next.

If you have wastewater overflowing anywhere on your property or any damage is being caused call 13 13 75 immediately. This line is attended 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you think it might be an internal blockage on your property plumbing – or if you’ve already called us and we’ve told you we think it is – you’ll need to call your plumber.

Where does responsibility lie?

Depending on the location of the sewer blockage the responsibility may fall upon you to fix the issue.

Wastewater (or sewer) blockages within the property plumbing are the property owner's responsibility.

If a blockage is in the sewer main (normally outside the property), it is our responsibility.

See the diagram below which shows who is responsible for the sections of a property's sewer.

If it turns out the blockage is in our sewer, the plumber will call us and advise that one of our crew members is required to clear the blockage. We will pay the plumber a standard fee for locating a blockage.

Protecting your home

Most modern properties in Australia have an overflow relief gully (ORG).  

An ORG is a grated drain located outside of your property, usually near a bathroom or laundry. It is designed to release wastewater outside and away from your home during a blockage or overflow. 

Follow these simple steps to ensure your ORG is functioning correctly: 

• make sure that the loose plastic grate fitted on your ORG can pop off easily if an overflow occurs
• clear your ORG from obstructions such as pot plants and leaf litter so it can drain properly
• make sure your ORG is set above the surrounding ground level to prevent stormwater flowing into it.

If your property does not have an ORG, you can get one installed by a plumber at your own cost.