Terrigal: what a plumber should know
Flash flooding is being studied
Council has an overland flood study for the catchments of four coastal lagoons, named for Terrigal, Avoca and Wamberal. It says these busy suburbs drain through channels and stormwater pipes that heavy rain can overwhelm.
The lagoon outlet is watched
Central Coast Council monitors conditions that may lead it to intervene mechanically at the natural ocean outlets of Tuggerah Lakes and its coastal lagoons.
One home in five is a flat
At the 2021 Census, 21.5% of occupied homes in the suburb of Terrigal were flats or apartments and 71.0% separate houses. 24.0% were rented.
Many empty on Census night
13.8% of private dwellings in Terrigal were unoccupied on Census night, compared with 9.4% across NSW.
Stormwater on a Terrigal block
Council puts roof drainage, gutters, downpipes, pipes and stormwater pits on the owner. Each building, sheds included, must drain to a legal point of discharge. If a private drainage easement crosses your land, it belongs to the owners who carry it or benefit from it, not to Council.
Council's flood page groups the risks into three: creeks, lakes and lagoons rising; local overland flooding when intense rain beats the drains; and coastal flooding from tides and storm surge. Gutters and pits you keep clear are your part of the second.
When the house sits empty
A leak in an empty house can run for weeks. Council warns hidden leaks can go undetected for a long time, and some waste more than 2000 litres a day. Read the meter as you leave and again when you're back: the red digits count single litres, so any movement with nothing running means a leak.
Found one? A leak detection specialist can trace it. If a pipe has burst, turn the water off at the meter and call an emergency plumber.
What we would do
Before storm season, clear the gutters and pits and follow each downpipe to where it ends. It should reach a legal point of discharge, not a garden bed or a neighbour's fence. If the slope above sends water onto your block, get a plumber who specialises in stormwater to look at pits and pipes; Council's rules stop you simply diverting it next door.