Coogee: what the records show
Apartments first
At the 2021 Census, 79.9% of occupied homes in the suburb of Coogee were flats or apartments, 9.0% townhouses or semis and 10.6% houses.
Most homes rented
54.5% of Coogee's occupied homes were rented in 2021, compared with 32.6% across NSW.
The Coogee Bay catchment
Randwick City Council says this 2.9 km2 catchment takes in most of Coogee, plus northern South Coogee and eastern Randwick. Council studied its flooding in 2013.
Sea level makes little difference
Council's Coogee Bay flood study considered climate change and found sea level rise has very little impact on flood levels in the catchment.
Test for a hidden leak with your meter
Turn everything off
Close every tap and switch off water-using appliances. Leave the meter tap on.
Read the meter
Write down the numbers, then use no water for at least an hour.
Read it again
If the last numbers have changed, water is escaping somewhere. The bigger the change, the bigger the likely leak.
Who fixes what near the meter
The drinking water pipes are the owner's from the point where they join Sydney Water's system. Even so, Sydney Water often repairs the stretch between its main and the meter, up to one metre inside your boundary, and maintains the meter itself. A leak at the meter tap is the owner's, though Sydney Water says it will fix the tap within 10 working days if you call.
Sydney Water also says not every plumber has the tools to find leaks underground or inside walls, so ask about leak detection equipment when you book. Our leak detection in Sydney page explains the methods.
Renting or in strata?
NSW strata guidance says tenants should write to the landlord for permission before making changes to the property. Randwick City Council manages flooding in the catchment, but a building's private pipes belong to its owners, right up to Sydney Water's system. For a burst or overflow, see emergency plumbers in Sydney.
What we'd do in Coogee
Do the meter test before you book anyone. It takes an hour, costs nothing, and tells the plumber whether water is escaping at all. If the numbers move with everything off, say so when you describe the job, and we'll match you with a licence-checked plumber who specialises in finding hidden leaks.