Can my stormwater go into the street drain in Victoria Park?

Generally not. The Town says stormwater is to be retained on site, connections to the road reserve drainage are not permitted, and it does not generally allow connections to its stormwater system.

I've found an old septic tank under my driveway. Must I remove it?

Not automatically. The Town says householders aren't required to decommission tanks just because they connect to sewer, but undecommissioned tanks shouldn't be paved or built over without its approval. Ask the Town before work starts.

Plumbers in Victoria Park: renters, stormwater and old septic

Plumbers in Victoria Park Stormwater stays on site.

This page covers the suburb of Victoria Park, in the Town of Victoria Park. More than half its homes are rented, and the Town generally won't take private stormwater into its drains, so landlord rules and soakwells come up often. Explain the problem in a sentence or two and we will match it to licence-checked local plumbers with that speciality.

Victoria Park facts

One Town, several suburbs

The Town takes in Victoria Park, East Victoria Park, Lathlain, Carlisle and Burswood, plus parts of Welshpool, Bentley and St James, on the south bank of the Swan River.

Mostly rented

At the 2021 Census, 52.6% of the suburb's occupied homes were rented, and 11.3% of private dwellings were empty on Census night.

Every kind of home

38.4% were separate houses, 36.7% townhouses, terraces or semis and 24.6% flats or apartments.

Low-lying land

The Town says it sits on low-lying land along the Swan River and is subject to riverine and coastal flooding, or both.

Stormwater can't go to the street

For homes, commercial and industrial sites alike, the Town's rule is that stormwater is retained on site. Engineered designs must hold storms up to and including the 100 year ARI. Connections to the road reserve drainage aren't permitted, bubble-ups shouldn't be used, and the Town doesn't generally allow any connection to its stormwater system.

Developments of five units or more may need a practising hydraulic engineer to design and sign off the drainage. See our stormwater page.

Renting here

Water Corporation says tenants generally pay for the water they use, but the cost of leaks and repairs lies with the property owner unless the rental agreement says otherwise. Report drips and running cisterns early.

Whoever books the work, check the licence. In WA a plumbing contractor must show the licence number in ads and on quotes and invoices, and the WA Online Licence Search confirms it.

Old septic tanks under paving

Householders in the Town aren't automatically required to decommission a septic tank when they connect to sewer. But a tank that hasn't been decommissioned shouldn't be paved or built over without the Town's approval. A disused tank can even become the primary treatment tank of an approved greywater system.

Owners and builders may not prune or remove street trees themselves: ask the Town. Perth pages for the job: blocked drains, leak detection, hot water and an emergency plumber.

What we would do

Renovating? Ask early whether there's an old septic tank on the block, because paving over it needs the Town's approval. If stormwater is ponding, the fix has to stay on your land, so ask the plumber for a soakwell or storage answer rather than a pipe to the kerb. We will match you with a plumber who specialises in the job, and only that plumber gets your contact details.