Enfield in three facts
Port Adelaide Enfield council
ABS boundary files put every part of the suburb inside the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. Its website wouldn't load for us, so ask Council directly about street drains and tree rules.
Mostly houses
In 2021, 77.0% of occupied homes were separate houses, 17.8% semis, terraces or townhouses and 5.0% flats or apartments.
Four in ten rented
40.1% of Enfield homes were rented, compared with 27.6% across South Australia. 33.7% had a mortgage and 21.5% were owned outright.
Which drain is playing up?
| Sewer | Stormwater | |
|---|---|---|
| What feeds it | Kitchen, laundry, toilet and bathroom drains | Roof downpipes and outdoor drains |
| Where it goes | SA Water's sewer (or a septic system) | Creeks, rivers and the sea, generally untreated |
| Typical sign | Overflow at the gully trap near an outside tap | Water pooling at a downpipe, pit or the kerb |
| Who to ask first | A drain specialist, or SA Water if it's in the street | A stormwater plumber for pipes on your block |
Why the two must stay apart
South Australia's EPA describes them as separate networks, and its Water Quality Policy bans polluting the stormwater system. A downpipe plumbed into the sewer, or a waste pipe running to the stormwater, is a fault to fix, not a shortcut. If a gully keeps overflowing in heavy rain, ask the plumber to check that nothing from the roof drains into it.
Clay pipes under the house
If a drain under your house is vitrified clay, the rules matter. SA's plumbing code doesn't allow clay pipes above ground, or for drains under a building unless they have been renovated by cured in-place pipe (CIPP) relining. That makes relining worth asking about when a drain beneath a slab or floor fails. See pipe relining in Adelaide and our guide to relining versus replacement.
Paperwork to ask for in Enfield
- The plumber's licence details, which you can check with Consumer and Business Services.
- An electronic certificate of compliance (eCOC) within 7 days of the plumbing work being finished.
- A separate gas eCOC, due within 30 days, if any gas fitting was done.
- For landlords: copies of both, kept with the property records.
Related Adelaide pages
Blocked drains, toilet repairs, gas fitting and emergency plumbers. Our compliance certificates guide explains the eCOC.
What we would do
Note when the problem shows up. Trouble only during storms points to stormwater, or to roof water getting into the sewer; trouble every time the washing machine drains points to the sewer line. Tell the plumber which it is, and if you rent, send the same note to your agent. A drain specialist can then bring a camera rather than guessing.