Floods and rain in Lismore
The 2022 record
Council says the highest flood on record reached 14.4m on 28 February 2022, at the Wilsons River at Lismore gauge. The previous record, 12.11m, was set in February 1954 and March 1974. The March 2017 flood reached 11.6m.
A levee with limits
The CBD levee, built in 2005, is designed for a 10% Average Exceedance Probability event. It has overtopped three times: March 2017, and February and March 2022.
Intense rain
Lismore Airport AWS averages 1238.0 mm a year (2002 to 2026), and its wettest day on record brought 324.8 mm.
Plumbing after floodwater
Stay off the system if sewage backs up
If drains gurgle or sewage shows at a gully after the water drops, stop flushing and running taps until a plumber has cleared them.
Get power and gas checked first
Have an electrician check anything that was under water, and a licensed gas fitter look at gas hot water and heaters before relighting.
Book a drain inspection
Silt settles in pipes and pits. A CCTV drain inspection shows what's blocked or broken before you pay for repairs.
Septic owners: check the tank
If your property is on an on-site system, have a plumber check it before you rely on it again.
Who supplies Lismore's water
Rous County Council supplies bulk water to Northern Rivers councils, including Lismore City, and they on-sell it to residents. Rous treats water from Rocky Creek Dam at its Nightcap Water Treatment Plant. Lismore City Council provides drinking water in Lismore, Nimbin, Caniaba, Dunoon, The Channon, Modanville, Tullera, Clunes and North Woodburn. Some places, like Richmond Hill, are supplied straight from Rous.
We didn't find a Council page saying where its sewer pipe ends and yours starts, so ask Lismore City Council before paying for a blockage near the boundary.
Septic approvals stay with the owner
In Lismore, an Approval to Operate an on-site sewage system is issued to the owners of the land, so it doesn't pass to a buyer. New owners can keep running the system for three months while they apply. Council inspects existing systems periodically, funded by an annual charge on your rates. See septic systems.
Stormwater on your land
Council asks owners to inspect and maintain grates, pits and pipes, and to grade drainage towards the nearest Council drain or waterway so it doesn't become a nuisance to neighbours. See stormwater.
Licences and the NSW paperwork
NSW requires a contractor licence for all plumbing, drainage and gasfitting, however small. After a flood, check every business on the NSW Public Register. Outside metropolitan areas the plumber's notices go to Council as the local regulator, and you should get a copy of the Certificate of Compliance. Read checking a plumber's licence and our NSW page. Other help: hot water, blocked drains, emergency plumbers.
What we would do
After a flood, don't let the first plumber at the door rush you. Get the gas and electrics made safe, then have the drains inspected so you know what's actually damaged. Check the licence on the Public Register and keep every certificate with your insurance papers.