Is Padstow flood prone?

Council's Salt Pan Creek stormwater flood planning includes a Padstow catchment, but that doesn't tell you about your own block. Lodge a Stormwater Information Application with the City of Canterbury Bankstown for your address.

Can my downpipes run into the sewer?

No. Sydney Water says rainwater and stormwater must not enter a property's wastewater system. Downpipes wrongly connected to the sewer are one of the commonest ways storm water gets in and causes overflows.

Plumbers in Padstow: Salt Pan Creek catchment and stormwater

Plumbers in Padstow A stormwater catchment of its own.

Padstow has its own stormwater catchment in the City of Canterbury Bankstown's Salt Pan Creek flood plan, and Council has finished a flood study for the Fairford Road Padstow catchment. Sydney Water runs the sewer. Tell us the job and we'll match you with a licence-checked local plumber who specialises in stormwater and drainage.

Padstow facts for a plumbing job

City of Canterbury Bankstown

Every part of Padstow falls within the Canterbury-Bankstown council area, so the City of Canterbury Bankstown's flood and drainage information covers it.

Padstow by name

Council's Salt Pan Creek floodplain risk management plan covers four stormwater catchments: Salt Pan Creek, Fairford Road, Padstow and Davies Road.

Flash flooding counts

Council treats stormwater (flash) flooding separately from riverine flooding, and says stormwater flooding can still cause major damage.

An even three-way split

At the 2021 Census, 67.6% of the suburb's occupied homes were separate houses and 26.0% townhouses or semis. 32.1% were owned outright, 32.7% mortgaged and 32.4% rented.

Finding out about your block

For a specific address, Council can supply extracts of its flood study data and flood affectation information once you lodge a Stormwater Information Application. Its Infrastructure Planning Team suggests ringing before you fill in the form.

Flood listings also shifted after 14 July 2021, when the State Government changed the rules on flood prone land and councils had to alter which properties they identify as flood affected. Check your block's current status before a plumber designs new stormwater pipes or pits.

Keep the rain out of the sewer

Stormwater and wastewater are separate systems, and Sydney Water says rainwater must not enter a property's wastewater pipes. When it does, through a downpipe tied into the sewer or a cracked private pipe, the sewer overloads in storms and can overflow onto properties.

Your sewer line is yours up to and including its connection with Sydney Water's system. If a blockage turns out to be in Sydney Water's pipe, the plumber has to report it at the time; you can then claim reasonable costs for a maximum of 2 hours of work. More on blocked drains in Sydney.

What we would do

Get Council's flood information for your address before paying for new stormwater work, and hand it to whoever designs it. If water is pooling in the yard, ask the plumber to trace every downpipe and confirm each one runs to stormwater, not the sewer. We'll match you with a stormwater specialist.