We've been connected to sewer. Do we have to remove the septic tank?

Not automatically, says the City. Decommissioning is required in some cases, such as a change of use or an extension that encroaches on the setbacks, and an old tank shouldn't be paved or built over without approval.

Can I put in a septic system myself?

No. The City has to approve an onsite effluent system before it's installed and inspect it before use, and using one without a Permit to Use is an offence. The plumbing work itself needs a licensed plumber.

Plumbers in Geraldton: Water Corporation, septic and stormwater

Q: Who pays to clear a blocked sewer in Geraldton?

Water Corporation's rule is that the owner pays for clearing a blockage in the property's wastewater connection, up to the junction with its main. If the blockage is in the main, it pays the plumber a standard fee for locating it.

Plumbers in Geraldton Sewer, septic and stormwater.

Water Corporation supplies Geraldton's water and runs its wastewater network, so its rules decide who pays for a blocked sewer. Some homes are still on septic, and stormwater on your lot is yours to manage. Describe the job and we will match you with licence-checked local plumbers who specialise in it.

Water Corporation's sewer, and your connection

Water Corporation treats Geraldton's wastewater; in 2024 it added a pump station and a 2.2 km pipeline at Glenfield Beach to serve at least 1,000 more homes in the northern coastal corridor.

Its rule is about cost. The owner pays to clear a blockage anywhere in the property's wastewater connection, up to the junction with Water Corporation's main, and its diagram puts the overflow relief gully, property sewer and inspection shaft on the owner's side. If a plumber finds the blockage is in the main, Water Corporation pays them a standard fee for locating it. See who owns the sewer pipe.

Geraldton facts that change a plumbing job

What's in the water

Water Corporation's 2024-25 figures for Geraldton, from 7 samples: total hardness 110 to 120 mg/L, total dissolved solids 828 to 886 mg/L and chloride 380 to 415 mg/L. It notes the dissolved solids and chloride are characteristic of the source.

Septic, then sewer

Where sewer isn't available, a septic tank and leach drain needs City approval, an inspection and a Permit to Use. When the infill sewerage program reaches a home, the old tank doesn't automatically have to be decommissioned, but it shouldn't be paved or built over without approval.

Stormwater stays on your lot

The City says each lot's stormwater must be collected and managed by the owner. Drainage easements stay part of the private lot for routine upkeep, and raising or lowering a stormwater pit to ground level is the owner's cost.

Mostly houses

At the 2021 Census, 86.3% of homes in the City of Greater Geraldton were separate houses and 29.6% were rented. Natural gas reaches Geraldton through ATCO's network.

Checking a WA plumber

Before you book, search the plumber on the WA Online Licence Search run by Building and Energy. A WA plumbing contractor must print the licence number on ads, quotes and invoices under regulations 25 and 25A.

Replacing a water heater is major work: the contractor gives notice at least 24 hours ahead and you get a certificate of compliance within five working days. Repairing a water heater or existing pipework is minor work, which needs a record rather than a certificate.

Find the right specialist

Choose blocked drains, septic systems, stormwater, hot water, leak detection or an emergency plumber. WA-wide rules are on our Western Australia page.

What we would do

If a blocked drain looks like it might be past your connection, ask the drain specialist to check the inspection shaft before clearing anything, so a blockage in Water Corporation's main is reported rather than paid for by you. If sewer has just reached your street, get the connection done, then ask the City what to do with the old tank before you build over it. And keep downpipes and pits draining within your own lot.