Leaking stop tap: who fixes it?
| Who to call | |
|---|---|
| Meter within 2 metres of the boundary | Coliban Water |
| Meter more than 2 metres past the front boundary | A plumber you engage |
Under the ground, Coliban's share of the sewer is its mains plus the house connection branch, as far as 1 metre in from your boundary. From there to the house, the pipes, the internal plumbing and any septic tank are the owner's.
Water from the Coliban storages
Castlemaine's water comes from Coliban's Upper Coliban, Lauriston and Malmsbury reservoirs through the Coliban System (Southern), and is treated at the Castlemaine Water Treatment Plant. Sewage from the town, Campbells Creek, Chewton and nearby towns flows to the Castlemaine Water Reclamation Plant.
Frozen meters and pipes
Coliban Water says the water in meters and pipes can freeze in cold weather and burst them. An upturned bucket or cardboard box over the meter helps, but on a digital meter don't use anything containing metal, because it disrupts the signal. Let frozen pipes thaw, or use lukewarm water; boiling or hot water can burst them.
Castlemaine facts
Septic beyond the town
Mount Alexander Shire's 2023-2027 plan calls Castlemaine largely sewered but estimates at least 3000 onsite wastewater systems across the shire. Ask Council if you're unsure which you have.
Sewer that arrived later
In 2012, Coliban Water extended the sewer to connect 28 existing homes in Reckleben Street, Castlemaine, an unsewered area the shire's first wastewater plan had flagged as high risk.
Long-held homes
At the 2021 Census, 92.4% of occupied homes in the suburb of Castlemaine were separate houses and 48.8% were owned outright, against 32.2% across Victoria. 23.3% were rented.
Victorian rules, Castlemaine homes
Gas hot water: from 1 March 2027 a gas system in an existing home has to be replaced by an efficient electric option, such as a heat pump, once it reaches end of life. It isn't a ban, repairs remain allowed, and you should check current rules because the instrument hasn't been found. Owner-occupiers whose old system is at least 3 years old may qualify for the Solar Homes rebate, which has income and property value caps; see Victorian rebates.
Licences are administered by the Building and Plumbing Commission, person by person and class by class. Ask for a number, check it, and get the compliance certificate from a licensed plumber where the job needs one.
Useful pages: septic systems, burst pipes, leak detection and hot water. Nearby Bendigo is also Coliban Water territory, and the Victoria page covers state rules.
What we would do
Find your meter before you need it and note how far it sits from the front boundary, because that settles who repairs a leaking stop tap. If you're on septic outside town, ask Council what your system's permit requires. And in a cold snap, cover the meter the night before rather than chasing a burst pipe the next morning.