Wallsend, from a plumber's point of view
The Ironbark Creek channel is being widened
Hunter Water is widening and naturalising the Ironbark Creek stormwater channel between Cowper Street and downstream of Boscawen Street into Federal Park, for the NSW Government. It's in design now, with construction expected from mid-2027. Hunter Water says it will cut how often and how badly the CBD floods, but won't stop flooding completely.
Bridges going up
City of Newcastle says the Boscawen Street and Nelson Street bridges will be raised and widened to work with the channel. The Tyrrell Street Bridge, finished in March 2020, was an earlier step in tackling Wallsend's flooding.
A new flood study
The City's Hexham and Woodberry Swamp Catchments Flood Study takes in Wallsend and will replace the Ironbark and Dark Creek studies. The last study for the area dates from 2008.
Over a third rented
At the 2021 Census, 36.7% of the suburb's occupied homes were rented, above the NSW figure of 32.6%. 77.7% were separate houses and 16.9% semis, terraces or townhouses.
Why drains back up in a Wallsend storm
Hunter Water says properties in low-lying or flood-prone areas are most at risk when heavy rain gets into the sewer and it backs up. Wrong connections between stormwater and sewer pipes make that more likely, and they're often accidental in older homes.
That gives you two things worth checking. First, no downpipe or yard drain should run into the overflow relief gully. Second, your stormwater has to reach a legal point of discharge: City of Newcastle never allows it into the sewer, and a new connection to the City's drains needs its approval.
After the water goes down
Stay out of floodwater
The NSW SES leads the response during floods, and it's the service to call if your home is flooded or damaged.
Watch the sewer shaft
If sewage is coming out of it, stop flushing and contact Hunter Water. Its main may be blocked or overloaded.
Book the drains in order
Once the shaft is clear, a drain specialist can check your own pipes and pits for silt, damage and wrong connections.
Mine subsidence and cracked pipes
Subsidence Advisory NSW has declared a Killingworth-Wallsend Mine Subsidence District. Its approval is needed before you build or extend inside a district, and the NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer shows whether your address is in one. It notes ground strain can buckle pipes, but also that roots and reactive soils cause damage too, so have the drain inspected before blaming the mines.
What we would do
If your Wallsend home took water in a storm, deal with the sewer side first: an overflowing shaft is a call to Hunter Water, not a plumber. Then have your stormwater checked for downpipes tied into the gully and pits full of silt. Hunter Water says a licensed plumber has the equipment to track down wrong connections, so ask for that check by name.
Related Newcastle pages
Go to blocked drains, an emergency plumber or pipe relining. Only the plumber who takes your job gets your contact details.