Frankston facts that change a plumbing job
One water company
Council's own wastewater plan names South East Water as the water corporation for Frankston, and Frankston, Frankston North and Frankston South are all on South East Water's supply list. So its pipe rules are the ones that apply here.
Houses, and a lot of renters
At the 2021 Census, 73.4% of the suburb's occupied homes were separate houses, 20.3% townhouses, terraces or semis and 6.1% flats or apartments. 39.1% were rented, against 28.5% across Victoria.
Council pits on private land
Frankston City Council maintains 926 km of stormwater drains, about 34,650 pits and some 12,000 pits within property easements. Road reserve pits are inspected and cleaned on a three year cycle.
Big trees need a permit
Where no planning controls apply, Council's local law needs a permit to remove a private tree with a trunk 110 cm or more around at the base, or for works in more than 10% of its Tree Protection Zone.
Your sewer pipe or South East Water's?
South East Water looks after the sewer up to the connection point with your property, often near the boundary. That point is the inspection opening, and the pipes and fittings upstream of it, towards the house, are the owner's responsibility.
If a blockage turns out to be on its side, South East Water says it will reimburse fair and reasonable costs. The conditions are strict. It won't pay if the plumber didn't refer the blockage to it, if CCTV or a high-pressure water jet cleaner was used, or if tree roots were cleared. Nor does it pay for digs to find your inspection point or boundary trap.
In a townhouse or unit, check who owns the shared pipe before anyone starts. South East Water isn't responsible for shared private water and sewer pipes in an owners' corporation.
Stormwater, trees and digging
Roof gutters, downpipes and the stormwater pipes on your land are yours to maintain. Some Frankston blocks also carry a Council drain in an easement. If a pit in that easement overflows, it may be one of Council's, so ask Frankston City Council before you pay anyone to clear it.
Replacing a broken drain near a large tree is where a permit can come in. The Tree Protection Zone is a circle around the trunk with a radius of 12 times its diameter, and works in more than 10% of it need a local law permit. Since 15 September 2025, state-wide tree controls under Clause 52.37 may mean a planning permit is needed instead. Check with Council before the trench is dug, not after.
Septic tanks in Frankston City
Not every home in the municipality is on sewer. Council's 2021 wastewater plan counted about 1,500 septic tank systems, and the homes that rely on them are concentrated in the eastern and southern parts of Langwarrin.
If you own one, the upkeep is on you. Victoria's environment protection rules require owners to maintain the system to its permit conditions, tell Council once they know it's failing, and keep records of maintenance and pump outs. Our septic systems page explains what a plumber checks.
Where to go from here
Renting? From 1 March 2027, Victoria's rental standard limits what a landlord can install when a hot water system permanently fails. Our Melbourne hot water page explains it. For other jobs, start with blocked drains in Melbourne or an emergency plumber.
What we would do
Before a drain specialist arrives, find your inspection opening and clear anything sitting on it. It's where South East Water's part meets yours, and reaching it quickly tells everyone sooner whose problem the blockage is. If it does look like South East Water's side, ask the plumber to refer it rather than clear it, or you lose the reimbursement. And if the fix means digging near a big tree, talk to Council first.