Thomastown facts for a plumbing job
Long-held houses
At the 2021 Census, 84.3% of occupied homes in the suburb of Thomastown were separate houses and 42.7% were owned outright, well above Victoria's 32.2%. 28.7% were rented.
Redevelopment ahead
Whittlesea lists Thomastown in its urban area and expects strong growth and redevelopment in established suburbs such as Epping, Thomastown and Lalor.
Not every lot is sewered
Council's June 2018 wastewater plan says most of the municipality is sewered but small pockets in Thomastown are not.
Your pipe, to the road reserve
Under Whittlesea's General Local Laws, each owner must keep the stormwater pipe from their property to the council drain in the road reserve properly built and repaired.
Knock-down, rebuild or subdivide
When an older Thomastown house makes way for units or a new home, the drainage is often redone too. That's the moment to check the stormwater pipe all the way to the council drain, because under the local laws it stays the owner's job. Council's stormwater page lists the parts: pipes, gutters, downpipes, stormpits and anything running from the property to the road.
It also warns that new paving and rainwater tanks cause stormwater trouble when they aren't properly managed. Ask your plumber how new hard surfaces will drain before the concrete goes down.
Roots, River Red Gums and permits
Whittlesea says tree roots and debris can block the underground stormwater pipes on a property. Clearing roots inside a pipe is routine, but cutting roots outside it can be another matter. Council defines lopping as cutting branches or roots to reduce a tree's height or spread, and lopping a protected canopy tree needs a planning permit.
The canopy tree controls cover most residential zones, including the General Residential, Neighbourhood Residential and Townhouse zones. River Red Gums get extra protection in the Whittlesea Planning Scheme. If the fix for a cracked drain means trenching near a big gum, check with Council first. See our tree roots page.
Sewer and septic
Whittlesea's plan says Yarra Valley Water provides water and sewerage services across the City, and Council asks owners to clean and repair their private sewage drains. If a blockage is on your side, you arrange and pay for a licensed plumber; Yarra Valley Water can confirm where its part ends for your property.
If your block sits in one of the unsewered pockets, a plumber who works on septic systems is the right call. For everything else, start at blocked drains in Melbourne.
What we would do
Before a Thomastown renovation or rebuild, have the stormwater line run through to the council drain with a camera, so you know its condition while the ground is open anyway. If there's a large tree nearby, ask Council whether it's protected before any roots are cut. And if you're not certain your lot is on sewer, ask Council or Yarra Valley Water.