Carrum Downs at a glance
Still growing
Frankston City's 2021 wastewater plan names Carrum Downs and Langwarrin as its designated growth areas, with ongoing residential and semi-rural development. Significant parts of Carrum Downs are set aside for future industrial use.
Mostly houses, mostly mortgaged
At the 2021 Census, 79.0% of occupied homes in the suburb were separate houses and 19.6% townhouses or units; flats made up 0.4%. 47.6% were owned with a mortgage, against 36.1% across Victoria.
South East Water
Council's plan names South East Water as the water corporation for Frankston, and Carrum Downs is on its supply list. Its pipe and refund rules are the ones that count here.
Where the sewer becomes yours
South East Water maintains the sewer up to the connection point with your property, often near the boundary. That point is the inspection opening. Pipes and fittings on the house side of it belong to the owner.
Find yours now, while nothing is wrong, and keep it clear of garden beds and paving.
If a toilet or floor waste overflows
Stop adding water
Turn off taps and appliances, and don't flush again.
Look at the inspection opening
If sewage is rising there too, the blockage may be further down the line, on South East Water's side.
Have the plumber refer it
South East Water reimburses fair and reasonable costs for a blockage on its side only when the plumber refers it. It won't pay where CCTV or a high-pressure jet cleaner was used, or tree roots were cleared.
Expect to pay for the dig
Digging to find a buried inspection point or boundary trap isn't reimbursed.
Townhouses and shared lines
About one home in five here is a townhouse or unit. A sewer or water pipe shared with neighbours is private: South East Water calls a combined drain a privately owned sewerage pipe and takes no responsibility for shared pipes in an owners' corporation. Check with the owners' corporation before anyone books work on a shared line.
On the water side, South East Water is responsible for the meter and the pipes from the street to it. From the meter to the house, the pipes are the owner's.
Hot water and other jobs
From 1 March 2027, a gas hot water system in an existing home must be replaced with an efficient electric option once it reaches the end of its life. A working unit can stay and be repaired. See the Victorian gas hot water rule, or blocked drains in Melbourne for drain jobs.
What we would do
When a drain backs up in Carrum Downs, hold off on hiring a jetter yourself. Jetting, a camera or root cutting on a blockage that turns out to be South East Water's costs you the refund. Call a drain specialist who checks the inspection opening first, and ask them to refer the job if the problem is past it.