How do I know if my Byford home can connect to sewer?

The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale says to contact Water Corporation's Technical Advice Line if you're unsure whether reticulated sewerage is available to your property.

What happens to the old septic tank?

It's decommissioned. A licensed liquid waste contractor empties it, then the tank and leach drains are removed, or broken in place and back-filled with clean fill.

Plumbers in Byford: septic to sewer, effluent and stormwater rules

Plumbers in Byford Septic, sewer and stormwater.

In and around Byford, Water Corporation's sewer is making many septic systems obsolete, the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale says. So connections and decommissioning are common jobs here, along with soakwells and stormwater. Tell us the job and we'll match you with a licence-checked plumber who specialises in sewer connections, or whatever else you need.

Byford facts for a plumbing job

Almost all houses

At the 2021 Census, 98.7% of the suburb's occupied homes were separate houses. 69.0% were owned with a mortgage, against 40.0% across WA, and 15.4% were rented.

Sewer is arriving

The Shire says Water Corporation's reticulated sewerage will make many septic and on-site systems in and around Byford obsolete.

Only part of the Shire is sewered

Only a small proportion of the Shire has reticulated sewerage. Not sure about your property? The Shire says to ask Water Corporation.

Stormwater stays on the lot

Owners have to keep stormwater within their boundaries, using rainwater tanks, soakwells or, where there's one, a piped stormwater connection.

Connecting to sewer and decommissioning

When you connect to sewer, regulations require the old system to be decommissioned. A licensed liquid waste contractor empties the tanks. The tanks and leach drains are then removed, or broken in place and back-filled with clean fill if removing them isn't practical.

After the connection, the line from the house to the sewer junction on Water Corporation's main is yours, and so is the cost of clearing it. A home without an overflow relief gully can have one fitted by a plumber, at the owner's cost.

Still on an on-site system?

Many subdivisions in the Shire have their own effluent rules, and some allow only sub-soil drippers. Nutrient retentive systems are used in sensitive areas. Nobody may move into a new home until an Environmental Health Officer has done the final inspection and a permit to use the system is issued.

You can ask the Shire for a copy of your existing system's plan, though for older properties not every document may exist. Our septic systems page explains what a plumber checks.

Trees and verge drains

Under the Shire's planning scheme, removing any vegetation on private land needs prior approval. Exemptions include dead or dangerous trees and minor maintenance pruning to AS 4373. Check before clearing a path for a new sewer line.

The Shire maintains the drainage on verges and keeps its drains and stormwater pits flowing, so report a blocked verge pit to the Shire. For the rest, see blocked drains in Perth and hot water.

What we would do

If sewer has reached your Byford street, book the connection and the decommissioning together and keep the liquid waste contractor's paperwork, since a buyer may ask for it. Before the trench goes in, check with the Shire whether any trees in the way need approval. And check the plumber's licence on the WA Online Licence Search.