Goodna facts that matter for plumbing
Ipswich council, Urban Utilities pipes
Goodna sits in the City of Ipswich. Urban Utilities supplies water and sewerage across the Ipswich council area, so its rules on whose pipe is whose apply here.
Flash floods from Woogaroo Creek
Council's guide says heavy local rain, generally over 100mm, or upstream rain falling in under 6 hours can flood roads and houses quickly. Streets around Mill, Parker and Enid are the most exposed.
A high river flood risk
Council rates Goodna's Brisbane River flood risk as high. Peaks at the Moggill Gauge, Goodna's main gauge, were 19.95m AHD in 1974, 17.87m in 2011 and 14.2m in 2022.
Nearly half rented
48.0% of the suburb's occupied homes were rented at the 2021 Census. 82.4% were separate houses and 16.3% townhouses or semis.
When the stormwater pipes can't keep up
Council's guide says flash floods can overwhelm local stormwater pipes and, together with overland flow, inundate properties for a short time. On your own block, roof water drains, gutters, downpipes and gully pits are yours to keep in good condition and connected to a lawful point of discharge: a Council drain, the road, or a soakage pit.
You also have to accept water flowing naturally from uphill land, and you can't divert it onto the next property. Our stormwater page explains the options a plumber has.
After the water goes down
If sewage came up inside, ring your insurer first; tenants should tell the property manager or landlord. Urban Utilities can't come inside to clean or disinfect.
Before you rely on the drains again, have a licensed plumber look at the overflow relief gully and inspection openings and clear silt from the lines. As in Brisbane, Urban Utilities will also clear a blockage on your property for a fee, though most people use their own plumber. If the fault is in Urban Utilities' pipe, the owner lodges the claim.
One of Ipswich's oldest suburbs
Council's guide says Goodna was founded on a sheep station in 1827. Urban Utilities notes that houses built before 1976 may have no overflow relief gully unless they've been renovated, so ask the plumber to check whether yours has one. See overflow relief gullies.
What we would do
Before the wet season, bookmark the Moggill Gauge and Council's flood maps, and find your gully and inspection openings so you know where to look. After a flood, get the drains checked before you trust them, and photograph everything for the insurer. If a neighbour's water pools against your house, a stormwater specialist can suggest drainage that keeps the natural flow path open.