The City of Ipswich in plumbing terms
Mostly houses
Across the council area at the 2021 Census, 88.7% of occupied homes were separate houses and just 1.7% flats or apartments. 39.4% were rented.
Many homes off the sewer
Council says a large number of Ipswich properties aren't connected to a reticulated sewer, so an on-site sewerage facility treats all their wastewater.
Colder mornings out west
The Bureau's Amberley station, out past Ipswich, averages 18.1 days a year at or below 2°C and 6.6 days at or below 0°C. Its lowest recorded temperature is -4.9°C.
A city on a floodplain
Council says flooding will remain a natural risk. Floods usually come between December and March, when the city typically gets half its average annual rainfall of approximately 900mm.
On the sewer, or on-site?
If your block isn't connected, a septic tank, treatment plant or similar system handles everything that goes down the drains, and Council puts the upkeep on the owner. Our septic systems page explains what a plumber looks at.
If you are connected, Urban Utilities' rules apply: the drain is yours as far as the sewer connection point, which can sit outside the boundary, and the sewer past it is Urban Utilities'. In Ipswich, as in Brisbane, it also offers to clear a blockage on your property for a fee.
Pools, tanks and leaks at the footpath
Pool filter backwash can't go to the sewer in Ipswich without Urban Utilities' approval. A rainwater tank's overflow pipe should run to a lawful point of discharge, such as a Council stormwater drain, the road or a soakage pit.
Council says that if a leak is on the footpath side of your water meter, it's one for Urban Utilities to investigate. On your side of the meter, it's a job for a leak detection specialist.
Frost and hot water
If a pipe bursts on a frosty morning, shut the water off at the meter's isolation valve, which usually takes a quarter turn, and call an emergency plumber.
Council says that since 1 February 2013 there's been no requirement for gas, solar or heat pump hot water in new homes, or in existing houses in a gas reticulated area, so you can choose, electric included. Whatever you choose, Queensland requires a temperature control device on every new and replacement system.
What we would do
Find out first whether your property is on the sewer; if you can't tell, ask Ipswich City Council, which keeps house drainage plans. Then book the right specialist: a drainer for a sewer line, someone who services on-site systems for a septic or treatment plant. On a frost-prone block, learn where the meter valve is before winter, not during a burst.