Maroochydore facts that shape the job
Units outnumber houses
At the 2021 Census, the suburb of Maroochydore was 37.5% separate houses, 24.1% townhouses or similar and 36.6% flats or apartments. 42.1% of homes were rented.
Low-lying ground
Sunshine Coast Council's planning scheme says much of the Maroochydore and Kuluin area is coastal lowland, and a significant part is potentially at risk from acid sulfate soils and coastal hazards, including river flooding and storm surge.
Canal and river estates
Sunshine Cove is built around a man-made waterway connected to Cornmeal Creek, and Maroochy Waters and Kuluin are mostly low density permanent housing.
Soft water
Unitywater describes Sunshine Coast water as generally soft, under 100 mg/L hardness, and says there is no need to add salt to appliances.
Sewage in the street, or in your yard?
Unitywater wants problems on public property or in its own pipes reported straight away, around the clock. An overflowing manhole in the street is its job, not a plumber's.
Inside the house, odours, slow drains or gurgling at taps and toilets may point to a blockage or another fault in the private plumbing. Those repairs are the owner's, and Unitywater doesn't do them. A drain specialist can tell which side of the line the problem is on. See blocked drains on the Sunshine Coast.
Digging on low ground
If a sewer or stormwater repair means excavation, mention it early. Council's planning scheme flags acid sulfate soils across a significant part of the area, so ask the plumber how the dig and the spoil will be handled. Where the line can be relined instead, there may be no trench at all.
Unitywater says connecting stormwater to the sewer is illegal, and a licensed plumber must fix any such connection.
Units and hot water
In a unit or townhouse, check with the body corporate before booking work on shared pipes. For your own hot water system, Queensland requires a temperature control device on every replacement, and Queensland Health says any change to thermostat settings should be done by a licensed electrician. Our hot water installation page explains the options, and an emergency plumber is there for a burst.
What we would do
If sewage is coming up somewhere in Maroochydore, look outside before you book. A manhole overflowing in the street goes straight to Unitywater. If it is only your drains, stop using water, and ask the drain specialist whether the fix needs digging, because on this ground that changes the plan and the time it takes.