Coliban Water's part and yours
| Coliban Water looks after | The property owner looks after | |
|---|---|---|
| Sewer | Sewer mains and house connection branches (HCB) up to 1 metre inside the property boundary | Internal plumbing and the sewer pipes within the boundary beyond that |
| Water | The water service to the water meter, and the meter itself | Pipes within the boundary on your side of the meter |
| Septic | Not applicable | Septic tanks are the owner's responsibility |
| Building on the boundary | Water and sewer pipes up to 1 metre outside the boundary, a stop tap within 2 metres of it, and the meter | Everything else |
Coliban Water calls this a general guide with some exceptions, so if a pipe sits right at the line, ask them. Its own words on the water service are that it maintains water services "to the water meter up to 2 metres inside the property boundary of the first accessible isolation valve".
Coliban also keeps a register of plumbers and drain cleaners who have done its induction for clearing house connection branch blockages. You don't have to use one of them. A plumber who isn't on it and finds the problem in the HCB has to call Coliban Water to find out whether Coliban will pay for that work. Our sewer pipe guide compares Coliban's rule with other water companies.
Bendigo facts that change the job
Frozen meters
Coliban Water says the water in meters and pipes can freeze in cold weather and burst them. Cover the meter with an upturned bucket or a box, and never pour hot or boiling water on a frozen pipe.
The overflow gully is yours
Your overflow relief gully, usually near the laundry, must have a loose, uncovered grate. Coliban says keeping it working is your responsibility, and a faulty one may affect an insurance claim after a sewer overflow.
Stormwater to the legal point
The City of Greater Bendigo says gutters, downpipes and buried pipes to the street or to the pit at the back of the block are the owner's, up to the legal point of discharge the City specifies.
Nine in ten homes are houses
At the 2021 Census, 91.4% of occupied homes in Greater Bendigo's council area were separate houses, against 73.4% across Victoria.
Septic systems outside the sewer
Where there's no sewer, the City of Greater Bendigo handles septic systems. Installing or altering one in an unsewered area needs the City's consent, and before a new system is used it must be inspected by the City and a permit issued. If you need to find an existing tank, the City takes file retrieval requests. See our septic systems page for what a plumber checks.
Victoria's 2027 hot water rule, Bendigo version
Starting 1 March 2027, an existing home whose gas hot water has reached the end of its life must replace it with an efficient electric system, a heat pump being the usual example. Repairs to gas systems remain allowed, and nothing changes for gas cooking in existing homes. Check current rules, because the legal instrument for owner-occupiers wasn't found.
Rented homes follow a separate standard from the same date. Owner-occupiers who meet the conditions may get a Solar Homes rebate. Both are covered on our Victorian rebates page.
Licences and where to start
Victorian plumbers are registered or licensed class by class through the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), which registers and licenses gasfitters too. Only a licensed plumber can issue a compliance certificate. Check the person's name and number on the state's licence register; the licence guide explains how.
For heaters, cooktops and gas lines, see gas fitters in Bendigo. For blocked drains, burst pipes or hot water, our main service pages apply.
What we would do
When the sewer blocks, find your inspection point and overflow gully before the plumber arrives, and make sure both are uncovered. If the blockage turns out to be within the first metre inside your boundary, or further out towards the main, it may be in Coliban Water's part, so the plumber should call Coliban to find out whether it will pay for that work. Keep the plumber's notes and photos either way.