Busselton Water and your pipes
Busselton Water serves the Busselton city centre, Port Geographe, Siesta Park, Vasse and Wonnerup, and sends bulk water to Dunsborough. Most of it comes from the deep Yarragadee aquifer and is treated at its local plants.
Owners are responsible for all internal plumbing, including the pipe up to the valve just before the meter, and Busselton Water says licensed plumbers must carry out any work on those internal pipes. Leave 300 mm clear around the meter and 1200 mm above it, so it can be read and reached.
We didn't find a source naming Busselton's sewerage provider, so check your bill or rates notice before a blocked sewer job. Our guide to who owns the sewer pipe explains how authorities usually split it.
Busselton facts that change a plumbing job
A town that doubles in summer
Busselton Water supplies more than 28,000 people, and the population doubles to more than 50,000 in the summer holidays. Its pressure page warns that household pressure can drop at those peaks.
Pressure range to plan for
Pressure usually sits between 150 kPa and 500 kPa. Busselton Water suggests checking that pipes, fittings and appliances can take up to 900 kPa, and it aims to deliver 20 litres a minute at your boundary.
Flood protection upstream
Water Corporation finished upgrading the Vasse Diversion Drain in winter 2021. The 6.3 km drain sends the Vasse and Sabina rivers to Geographe Bay, because floods have hit Busselton since it was built in the 1920s.
Mostly houses
At the 2021 Census, 88.3% of homes in the City of Busselton were separate houses and only 0.5% flats or apartments. Most jobs are a single home's own pipes.
Checking a WA plumber
Look up any plumber or gas fitter on the WA Online Licence Search run by Building and Energy. A licensed plumbing contractor has to put the licence number on ads, quotes and invoices, so a missing number is a reason to ask.
Replacing a water heater counts as major work. You should get a certificate of compliance within five working days, and a temperature control device is required when a heater is replaced, except for a basin. Repairs to existing pipework are minor work that needs a record, not a certificate. Natural gas reaches Busselton through ATCO's network.
Find the right specialist
Start with water pressure, leak detection, blocked drains, stormwater, hot water or an emergency plumber. WA-wide rules are on our Western Australia page.
What we would do
If the pressure drops only on hot summer afternoons, it may be peak demand rather than a fault, so check Busselton Water's outage notices and test the flow at the meter before paying for a call-out. If it's low all year, a plumber should look at your own pipes. When buying new tapware or an appliance, check it's rated for the pressures Busselton Water quotes.