What's different about Kogarah
Two councils
The NSW Electoral Commission lists Kogarah under both Georges River Council and Bayside Council, and Bayside calls its share 'Kogarah (part)'. Your rates notice tells you which applies.
Mostly apartments
At the 2021 Census, 71.2% of occupied homes in the suburb were flats or apartments and 20.9% were separate houses.
Nearly half rent
48.4% of Kogarah's homes were rented, well above the NSW figure of 32.6%.
Bad pipe, no tree removal
Georges River Council won't approve tree work just to stop blockages where roots got into earthenware or run-down pipes.
Sewage on the ground: who to call
In the street, or past your connection point
Report it to Sydney Water on its 24/7 faults line and keep people away from it.
On your property, only when you run water
It's most likely your private pipe, or the building's. A licensed plumber clears it.
Coming from a neighbour's pipe
Georges River Council suggests talking to the neighbour first. If that doesn't fix it, lodge a request with Council.
What usually causes it
Georges River Council lists the usual causes of blockages and overflows: roots and soil getting into damaged pipes, wet wipes and other things that shouldn't be flushed, stormwater overloading the sewer in heavy rain, and digging that breaks a pipe.
Roots at the very end of your line are still your problem. Sydney Water owns the junction on its main, but the owner has to clear any roots that grow into it at the point of connection.
Roots and the 2024 tree policy
In the Georges River part of Kogarah, any work on a tree, above or below ground, needs Council approval unless it's exempt. That covers root pruning and root barriers.
Council says it won't approve tree work just to reduce blockages where roots got into pipes that are earthenware, in poor condition or in disrepair. It will consider whether a tree is the identified cause of damage to a sewer once other remedies have been tried and ruled out. In practice the pipe gets fixed first: see CCTV drain inspection and pipe relining in Sydney.
In a unit block
Under NSW strata rules the owners corporation generally looks after pipes in boundary walls and under floors, while each lot owner looks after their fixtures and the pipes inside their internal walls. In an emergency you can call a plumber yourself. Take photos, and ask for the fault and the repair in writing. Renting? Tell your landlord or agent first. More at blocked drains in Sydney.
What we would do
If sewage is coming up inside a unit, call the strata manager and a plumber straight away and keep everyone clear of the overflow. Ask the plumber to note where the blockage was and whether it sat in Sydney Water's pipes. If it did and the plumber reports it to Sydney Water, you can make a claim for reasonable out-of-pocket costs, up to a maximum of 2 hours of work. Then let us match you with a plumber who specialises in sewer blockages.