What shapes plumbing in Canning Vale
Mostly houses, mostly owned
At the 2021 Census, 94.4% of the suburb's occupied homes were separate houses. 49.2% were owned with a mortgage, 30.1% outright and 17.8% rented.
Swamp to suburb
The City of Canning says Canning Vale was mostly market gardens and dairy farms on swampy ground until the late 1970s. Housing estates began in the 1980s, with lakes built in to drain the swampy areas.
Groundwater and soakwells
In the City of Gosnells, a soakwell needs at least 0.5m between its base and the highest groundwater level, or a clay layer. Where the ground won't drain, sealed tanks release water slowly into the City's drains.
Black poly on the verge
Gosnells discourages black poly pipe on verges because its joints leak and draw roots in. If street tree roots break verge retic, that's the installer's problem, not the City's.
Adding a room or paving
Gosnells approves a stormwater drainage plan for every development, right down to an addition to a single home. The method depends on a geotechnical report, so ask early about soakwell depth and groundwater.
If your lot sits in the City of Canning part of the suburb, ask that City which drainage rules apply before you build.
Roots, retic and the sewer
Water Corporation says roots can rupture water pipes and creep into wastewater pipes through cracks, and that whole sections of pipe often need replacing. It asks people to check with Before You Dig Australia before planting a verge tree.
Your sewer runs from the house to the junction with Water Corporation's main. A blockage anywhere before that junction is yours to clear, and a drain specialist with a camera can show where roots are getting in.
WA contractors must show their licence number on quotes and invoices, so look for it before you agree to anything. Start with blocked drains in Perth, tree roots in drains or pipe relining.
What we would do
Find out which council you're in first; it's on your rates notice. If you're running retic across the verge, skip black poly and keep the lines away from the street tree. And if a drain keeps blocking near a tree, ask for a camera inspection before agreeing to dig. It shows whether roots are in your pipe, or whether the trouble lies past the junction.