Perth pipes and relining
Water Corporation relines too
It has been relining its own ageing wastewater pipes for over 10 years, trenchless where it can, and says the work adds at least 50 years to their life. That program covers its pipes, not your property sewer.
Its sewers can run through your yard
Sewer reticulation pipes, usually 300mm across or less, are the Water Corporation asset most commonly found on private property.
Digging near them needs approval
Water Corporation needs to give written approval before anyone drills, bores or excavates near its services. A relining job that needs an access pit close to one of its sewers falls under that.
Roots go for the cracks
Water Corporation says roots get into wastewater pipes through cracks, can block them completely, and often mean whole sections are replaced. Its tree list rates species by how invasive their roots are.
Your pipe or theirs?
Under Water Corporation's rules, the property sewer is the owner's as far as the sewer junction on its main. If a camera shows the crack or root mass is in Water Corporation's main, report it to Water Corporation instead of paying to line it.
To see what's where, get the Before You Dig Australia plans, which mark the mains and sewer junctions at your address, and ask the Building Commission for the property's flimsy, a drawing of the sewers and fixtures inside the block.
Work at the point where your pipe joins Water Corporation's also needs its say-so: connecting private plumbing to its connection point without approval is an offence.
How a relining job runs
Water Corporation's own relining follows five steps, and a private job looks much the same. The pipe is filmed with a CCTV camera, cleaned with high pressure water, lined, then the branch connections are reopened and sealed, and the finished pipe is checked again.
Ask to see the footage before and after. It's your proof of what was wrong, where, and what the liner now covers. Our relining or replacement guide covers when digging is the better call.
WA licences and paperwork
WA has a tradesperson's licence class for drainage plumbing, alongside the plumbing contractor's licence. Whoever quotes must show their licence or permit number on the quote and the invoice, and you can look it up on the WA Online Licence Search.
Repairing or replacing existing pipework counts as minor work in WA: it needs a record but no certificate of compliance. Ask the plumber how your relining job will be recorded.
Ask before you agree to a liner
- Can I see the camera footage, and exactly where is the damage?
- Is any of this pipe Water Corporation's, or close to one of its sewers?
- Will you dig near a Water Corporation asset, and have you asked for its approval?
- Which WA licence do you hold for drainage work?
- How will the job be recorded under WA's minor work rules?
What we would do
Get the camera inspection first and the ownership answer second, before anyone talks about liners. Pull your Before You Dig plans and the flimsy so you can see whether a Water Corporation sewer is involved. If the damage is on your side and the pipe is a good candidate, relining can save your paving and garden. If there's a big tree near the line, ask what will stop the roots coming back. A licence-checked plumber who specialises in relining will walk you through the footage.