Picton facts a plumber needs
Wollondilly Shire Council
All of Picton falls inside the Wollondilly council area, so Wollondilly Shire Council sets the local rules for septic systems, plumbing approvals and flood information.
Plenty of septic in the Shire
Council says more than half the Shire's population lives in rural and rural-residential areas without Sydney Water's sewer, and there are more than 8,000 on-site sewage systems across the Shire.
Stonequarry Creek
Picton has a long history of flooding because it sits in the Stonequarry Creek floodplain, Council says. It adopted a floodplain risk management study and plan for the creek in June 2020.
Houses, mostly owner-occupied
At the 2021 Census, 90.1% of the suburb's occupied homes were separate houses. 47.2% were owned with a mortgage and 19.0% rented.
Who inspects the plumbing
Where plumbing or drainage isn't being connected to Sydney Water's sewer, Wollondilly Council does the inspections that the state regulator does elsewhere. That work needs Council approval under section 68 of the Local Government Act 1993 before it starts. The licensee lodges a Notice of Work with Council first, then a Certificate of Compliance and a sewer service diagram or works-as-executed drawing at the end.
On a sewered block, Sydney Water's rules apply instead. It runs a treatment plant at Picton, and your private wastewater pipes are yours up to and including the point where they join its system.
Living with a septic tank or pump-out
Every on-site system in Wollondilly needs a current Approval to Operate. Council issues them for 1, 3 or 5 years depending on risk, and running a system without one is an offence.
Wollondilly Council's septic habits
- Have a septic tank de-sludged every 3 to 5 years.
- Pump-out systems: pump the liquid effluent out every 1 to 4 weeks, keep every receipt, and get the tank and any blockages checked yearly.
- Fit sink strainers, and skip bleach, antibacterial cleaners and strong detergents.
- Never flush wipes, hygiene products or nappies.
- Keep cars off the absorption trench, and don't build or plant trees that shade it.
Check the flood mapping first
In May 2026 Council adopted the Shire-wide Wollondilly Flood Study. If you think the mapping for your property is wrong, you can ask for a site-specific review through Council's Customer Portal. It's worth checking before you move a hot water unit, a tank or drainage on a low block. Our septic systems page covers what a plumber looks at.
What we would do
Find out what your home drains to before you book anyone. If it's septic or pump-out, check your Approval to Operate is current, and ask the plumber to confirm they'll lodge the Notice of Work and compliance paperwork with Wollondilly Council. We'll match you with a plumber who specialises in on-site systems or sewer drainage, whichever your home has.