Who pays to fix the stormwater pipe under my nature strip?

You do. The City of Onkaparinga says owners are responsible for drainage up to the Legal Point of Discharge, including pipe in the nature strip or road reserve that runs to the kerb.

Is all of Morphett Vale on the CWMS?

Council lists a Morphett Vale network but doesn't say how many homes use it. Your annual rate notice shows whether your property is connected to a CWMS.

Plumbers in Morphett Vale: stormwater, CWMS and protected trees

Plumbers in Morphett Vale Your pipe to the kerb.

In Morphett Vale, the stormwater pipe from your house is yours right up to the kerb or council drain, including the stretch under the nature strip. Most homes are separate houses, so most jobs involve private drains. Describe the Morphett Vale job and we'll connect you with a licence-checked plumber who specialises in it.

Morphett Vale facts

A suburb of houses

At the 2021 Census, 84.9% of occupied homes in Morphett Vale were separate houses, 14.7% semis, terraces or townhouses and just 0.3% flats. 41.3% were owned with a mortgage and 28.2% rented.

Knox Ward

Morphett Vale makes up the City of Onkaparinga's Knox Ward, together with part of Reynella.

A CWMS network here

One of Onkaparinga's seven council-run CWMS networks is in Morphett Vale. Council says it sends untreated effluent straight into SA Water's sewer.

The Legal Point of Discharge

Council gives each property a Legal Point of Discharge for stormwater, usually a council drain or the kerb. Everything up to that point is the owner's.

Stormwater: where your part stops

Gutters, downpipes, pits and the pipe out to the street belong to you, even sections in the road reserve that discharge to the kerb or join a council drain. Beyond the Legal Point of Discharge, it's the City of Onkaparinga's problem.

Council also expects owners to keep stormwater pipes connected to that point and to stop runoff affecting neighbours. A stormwater specialist can trace a broken or misdirected pipe.

SA Water sewer or the CWMS?

Check two pieces of paper. According to Council, the SA Water bill shows a sewer connection, while the annual rate notice shows a CWMS one.

On the CWMS, lift the inspection point cover at your boundary connection and run a tap inside. If the inspection point fills with water, the blockage is probably in Council's drain. If nothing comes through at all, it's probably on your side. On SA Water sewer, ask SA Water where its part ends: its rule wouldn't load for us. See blocked drains in Adelaide.

Trees with legal protection

Since May 2024, a tree with a single trunk 1 metre around, measured 1 metre above the ground, is regulated, and 2 metres makes it significant. Several trunks count too: 1 metre in total with an average of 310 mm or more.

Substantial damage to a protected tree's roots counts as development and needs approval, and Onkaparinga says native vegetation law can take precedence. Ask about pipe relining before digging near one.

What we would do

If water pools in the yard after rain, start at the downpipes and follow the pipe to the kerb: it's probably yours to fix. For a sewer smell or overflow, check your rate notice for a CWMS charge before booking, because that changes who you call. And never let anyone trench through the roots of a big tree without checking with Council.