Strathpine at a glance
Unitywater, not Urban Utilities
City of Moreton Bay's own water and sewerage web address forwards straight to Unitywater, the provider for the whole council area. So Unitywater's rules apply here, not the Brisbane ones.
Three-bedroom houses
At the 2021 Census, 82.3% of the suburb's occupied homes were separate houses and 13.3% townhouses or similar. 58.3% had 3 bedrooms and 30.7% were rented.
Council names the problem trees
Council says tree roots can badly damage sewers and drains. Its list of common culprits: figs, rubber plants, willows, mango trees, poincianas, coral trees, West African tulip trees, umbrella trees and camphor laurels.
Council audits plumbing work
City of Moreton Bay inspects 5% of the notifiable plumbing jobs reported to the QBCC. Permit jobs get staged Council inspections and end with a final inspection certificate (Form 19).
Your leak or Unitywater's? Look at the meter
Unitywater makes every water pipe and fitting from the meter into the property the owner's to maintain, and finding a concealed leak is the owner's job too. Its meter test sorts out which side you're on.
Soggy ground around the meter while the meter isn't ticking over usually means the leak is on Unitywater's infrastructure: report it to them. If the meter is ticking over, water is being drawn through it and the leak is on your side, which is work for a leak detection plumber.
When the sewer backs up
Unitywater doesn't carry out private plumbing repairs, so a blocked toilet or drain on your property starts with a licensed plumber. Unitywater pays a blocked sewer identification fee, but only the plumber can claim it, never the customer.
We don't say exactly where Unitywater's sewer pipe ends: its published documents describe it differently. If the plumber suspects Unitywater's network, ask them to report it, and ask Unitywater to confirm the boundary for your block.
Permits and paperwork
Clearing a blocked drain is minor work: it needs a licensed plumber or drainer, but no QBCC notice or Council permit. Altering drainage or moving fixtures in an existing house is notifiable work, which the plumber registers with the QBCC on a Form 4 within 10 business days of invoicing. Bigger jobs need a Council permit before anything starts.
What we would do
Do the meter test before ringing anyone, because it tells you whether the call is to Unitywater or a plumber. For a blocked drain, choose a plumber who'll check whether the fault is in Unitywater's network and report it if so. And read Council's list of problem trees before planting anything near the sewer line.
Strathpine specialists
We can match blocked drains, emergency plumbing, hot water and pipe relining jobs, each with a licence-checked plumber who does that work. Nearby, see Albany Creek and North Lakes, or the wider Moreton Bay page.