Blue Mountains facts that change a plumbing job
Frost in the upper mountains
At the Bureau of Meteorology's Katoomba (Farnells Rd) station, 1,017 m up, it gets to 2°C or below on about 37 days a year and 0°C or below on about 10, on records from 1957 to 2026.
Not every home is on sewer
Blue Mountains City Council says close to 1,400 properties have on-site sewage systems, each needing an approval to operate that Council issues every five years.
Nearly all houses
At the 2021 Census, 92.1% of occupied homes in the council area were separate houses. 40.9% were owned outright and 17.8% rented.
Sandy soils and sandstone
Council points to large areas of fast-draining sandy soil and fractured sandstone, and names septic wastewater as a primary source of groundwater contamination.
Frozen pipes
If a pipe freezes, Sydney Water's advice is to let it thaw by itself as the day warms up. Don't pour boiling water on it, because the sudden heat can crack it.
Before a cold snap, insulate pipes that run above ground, and the water meter. A bucket, tub or box over the meter does the job, or a wrap of foam, rubber, newspaper or a towel around the pipe. If one has already split, turn the water off at the meter and get a burst pipe specialist.
Living with an on-site sewage system
Council monitors every on-site system in the city. Each one needs a current approval to operate, absorption systems are inspected every five years, and service providers lodge quarterly reports on how systems are performing.
Running the system is the owner's job, with a service and maintenance contract from a qualified provider. Selling or leasing? The new owners or tenants must be given an operating manual. Odours or wastewater pooling on the ground mean the system is failing, so call your service provider straight away.
Council's own pump-out service takes greywater treatment systems only. A septic tank that drains to a storage tank must be pumped out regularly by a commercial contractor under an annual contract. Our septic systems page explains what a plumber checks.
Homes on Sydney Water's sewer
Sydney Water's service area takes in the Blue Mountains. Where a home is connected, the owner's wastewater pipe runs all the way to Sydney Water's system and includes the point of connection, which can sit beyond the property boundary. For other jobs, see hot water in Sydney or an emergency plumber.
What we'd do up the mountains
In the upper mountains, lag exposed pipes and cover the meter before winter, not after the first burst. If you're on septic, keep the service contract and the approval to operate current; a buyer or tenant will need the operating manual anyway. If something smells or pools, call the service provider first, then a plumber who specialises in on-site systems if it needs repair. We can find you one who covers your town.