Altona facts that shape a plumbing job
Check the bill, not a map
Altona is on neither South East Water's nor Yarra Valley Water's supply list, and that alone doesn't prove which of Melbourne's three retailers it is. The company on your water bill is the one to call.
Houses, with plenty of townhouses
In the suburb of Altona, 61.1% of occupied homes were separate houses at the 2021 Census, 30.1% townhouses, terraces or semis and 8.6% flats or apartments. 31.0% were rented.
Your outlet is a private asset
Hobsons Bay says the stormwater outlet from a property, all the way to the legal point of discharge, is private. That includes a connection point sitting in the street, a laneway, public land or an easement.
Significant trees are protected
Council's Community Local Law needs a permit to interfere with, damage or remove a significant tree: one with a trunk 110 cm or more around (or 35 cm across) at 1.4 m above the ground.
Where your stormwater job ends and Council's begins
Hobsons Bay City Council maintains its own drains and pits, both in the street and in designated easements on private land. The rest is yours: every gutter, downpipe and yard pit on the block, plus the household drain running out to Council's connection.
So a downpipe spilling over in heavy rain, or a yard pit backing up, usually means a private blockage. A drain specialist can find where the line stops and whether it's your side or Council's pit.
Building or renovating? You may need a legal point of discharge permit, which sets where your stormwater must go. Council is also flood mapping parts of the municipality, so ask what applies before new drains go in.
Digging near a big tree
Replacing a cracked stormwater or sewer line usually means a trench, and two sets of tree rules can apply. The local law covers significant trees. Victoria's Clause 52.37 can also require a planning permit to remove or lop a canopy tree in a residential zone: over 5 metres tall, with a trunk over 0.5 metres around at 1.4 metres, within 6 metres of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 metres of the rear boundary.
Hobsons Bay also expects anyone doing building works to protect trees. If a large tree stands over the line, ask Council before the trench is dug. Our tree roots page covers what a plumber checks first.
Common Altona jobs
Start with blocked drains in Melbourne, leak detection, hot water or an emergency plumber. Renters: a burst water service is an urgent repair, so tell your rental provider first.
What we would do
Before anyone arrives, find your water company on the bill and locate where your stormwater pipe leaves the block. Water pooling in the yard after rain is usually a private pipe problem. Ask the drain specialist to show you on camera where the blockage is, so you know whether it's a repair for you or a report to Council. If a big tree stands over the pipe, check the local law before any digging.