Applecross facts that shape a plumbing job
A real mix of homes
At the 2021 Census, 61.9% of the suburb's occupied homes were separate houses, 21.5% townhouses, terraces or semis and 16.6% flats or apartments. 44.1% were owned outright, well above the 29.2% across WA.
Street trees belong to the City
The City of Melville maintains street trees, roots included. Owners need prior approval for any work on one, and Melville has a form for anyone who wants to excavate near a street.
Read the pit lid
Some drainage pits in Melville footpaths belong to other organisations. The marking on the pit tells you whose it is, and 'MWB' means Water Corporation.
A tree policy in draft
Melville advertised a draft policy on regulated trees on private land, open for comment until 31 October 2026. If it's adopted, cutting the roots of some medium and large trees could need approval.
Where Water Corporation's pipes meet yours
In Applecross, everything from the overflow relief gully through the inspection shaft to the property connection is the owner's sewer. A blockage anywhere in that run is yours to pay for, up to the junction with Water Corporation's main.
Some Water Corporation sewer pipes run through private land too. It needs to approve in writing any excavating, boring, fencing or planting near them, so raise it before a new drain or retaining wall goes in.
Renovating or adding on
Melville wants the proposed stormwater disposal system shown on the site plan for a building permit, and its design calculator helps size soakwells or drainage cells. The City also suggests checking with its engineers and Water Corporation that the work won't cut across a drainage or sewer easement.
Every WA plumbing contractor has to print the licence number on quotes and invoices, so check it on the WA Online Licence Search before you sign.
For the job itself, see blocked drains in Perth, leak detection or pipe relining.
What we would do
If roots are the problem, find out whose tree they came from before anyone cuts. A street tree is Melville's, so call the City first. For a tree in your own garden, check where the draft policy has landed, then ask a drain specialist for a camera look before choosing between relining and digging a trench.