Mount Barker facts for homeowners
Council runs the wastewater scheme
Mount Barker District Council operates the state's largest council Community Wastewater Management Scheme and is a licensed Water Industry Entity. Its treatment plant takes wastewater from the Mount Barker, Littlehampton, Nairne and Brukunga townships.
Demand is growing
Council says the plant is nearing capacity as demand grows, and it is upgrading it in stages. The plant also supplies recycled water to local businesses, parks and gardens.
Nine in ten are houses
At the 2021 Census, 91.2% of occupied homes in the town were separate houses, 7.8% semis or townhouses and 0.5% flats. 42.6% were owned with a mortgage and 29.3% rented. The median age was 36.
Two wards
The town is split between Council's Central Ward, east of Adelaide Road and Flaxley Road, and its South Ward to the west.
Who to call when the sewer blocks
Start with your own property. A drain specialist can find out whether the blockage is in your pipes or further down the line, and clear it if it's yours.
If it's past your pipes, ask Mount Barker District Council whether your home is on its scheme and where its part begins. Council's main website wouldn't load for us, so we can't tell you where that boundary sits. For the steps, see blocked drains in Adelaide.
Water supply
We couldn't confirm which company supplies Mount Barker's drinking water, so check the name on your water bill. A burst in the street goes to that supplier. A burst inside your fence is a job for a plumber: see burst pipes.
Hot water, gas and paperwork
In South Australia, a hot water replacement needs a tempering valve only where one was fitted before, though solar systems always need one.
After plumbing work, the tradesperson must give you an electronic certificate of compliance within 7 days. Gas fitting has its own certificate, due within 30 days. Consumer and Business Services handles licences, so ask for the number before work starts. See hot water in Adelaide and gas fitting.
What we would do
Before you book anyone for a sewer problem, ring Council and confirm your home is on its wastewater scheme. Ask where its pipes end and yours begin, and write it down for next time. Then check your water bill so you know who to call if a main ever bursts in the street.