Joondalup facts worth knowing
More flats than most of Perth
At the 2021 Census, the suburb's occupied homes were 56.8% separate houses, 18.9% townhouses or semis and 23.6% flats or apartments. 40.7% were rented, well above WA's 27.3%.
A pocket without sewer
The City says deep sewerage is still unavailable for a small section of Joondalup, so those lots use septic tanks or other on-site systems such as aerobic treatment units.
Septic setbacks
Without approval, buildings generally can't go within 1.2m of a septic tank or aerobic unit, or 1.8m of effluent soak wells and leach drains. Don't pave over a tank unless it can still be reached.
Pool water counts as runoff
The City's rule on keeping water inside your boundary covers an overflowing or emptied swimming pool, not just rain off the roof and paving.
When sewer arrives, the tank should go
Septic systems can collapse without warning, so the City recommends decommissioning one as soon as the home is connected to sewer. It becomes a legal requirement within 60 days of a change of use or ownership once sewer is connected, or before building work puts a structure closer than 1.2m to the system.
A licensed liquid waste contractor pumps the tank out first. Then every tank, soak well and leach drain is removed, or backfilled with the tank bases broken, and the City is told. Our septic systems page explains what a plumber checks.
On sewer: where your part ends
Water Corporation makes the owner responsible for clearing blockages in the property's sewer connection, right up to the junction with its main. That run includes the overflow relief gully outside; Water Corporation asks owners to keep its loose grate able to pop off, clear of pot plants and leaf litter, and sitting above the ground around it.
The City describes Joondalup's climate as hot and dry in summer and mild and wet in winter. For blocked fixtures, see blocked drains in Perth; for a cold shower, hot water repairs in Perth.
What we would do
Buying a home that may once have had septic? Ask whether a tank was ever on the property and whether it was decommissioned, and get the paperwork. If you buy after sewer is connected and the tank is still there, the 60-day requirement applies to you. A septic specialist can find the tanks and drains before you plan a pool, patio or extension over them.