Rain stays on your block
Council's Stormwater Policy requires every private development lot in Nedlands to hold its stormwater on site, up to and including the 1% Annual Exceedance Probability storm. Soak wells are the usual answer, and the City's drainage network is not to be used for permanent disposal from private land.
One clause catches renovators. No stormwater infiltration facility may be removed unless something of equal or larger capacity replaces it. If a new patio or extension sits over a soak well, the replacement belongs in the plan from day one.
Nedlands details worth knowing
A large public network
The City has over 4600 pits and soak wells on its roads, plus 70 kilometres of pipes running to 40 basins or infiltration cells. A contractor cleans and inspects them each year.
Soak well or drainage pit?
A soak well has angled holes in its walls and an open base, so water soaks into the sand. A drainage pit is sealed and sends water by pipe to a sump. Where groundwater sits high, shallow soak wells with a wider diameter are used.
Easements on titles
Where public drainage runs under private land, an easement keeps buildings off it and allows access. It shows on the title, though the City says not every property with public pipes has one registered.
Big family homes
At the 2021 Census, 75.2% of the suburb's occupied homes were separate houses and 47.8% had four or more bedrooms. 43.4% were owned outright and 26.1% rented.
Before the winter rain
- Clear gutters and downpipes so water reaches the soak wells instead of spilling beside the house.
- Lift soak well lids and look for silt, leaves or roots sitting in them.
- Clear grates and entry pits, but only where it's safe to reach them.
- Keep the overflow relief gully grate loose and above the ground, so stormwater can't run into the sewer.
- After a heavy storm, note where water pools and show the plumber.
Sewer and water: the dividing lines
Water Corporation runs the sewer and water mains. A blocked property connection is the owner's to clear, as far as the junction on its main; if the plumber traces the blockage into the main itself, Water Corporation takes over and pays the plumber a standard fee for locating it.
On the water side of a detached home with its own meter, a leak between the plumber's elbow and the street is Water Corporation's, and between the elbow and the house it's yours. Related Perth pages: blocked drains, leak detection, pipe relining and hot water.
What we would do
If water pools after storms, have the soak wells and the downpipes feeding them checked before replacing anything. Ask whether the system still suits the City's on-site rule, especially if roof or paving has been added since the house was built. A plumber who specialises in stormwater can size it properly. We will match you with one, and your number goes only to the plumber who takes the job.