What blocks drains around Wollongong
Trees on Sydney Water's list
Roots slip into small cracks in wastewater pipes and keep growing. Sydney Water's list of trees to keep away from those pipes includes the Illawarra Flame Tree, Norfolk Island Pine, bottlebrush and paperbarks, and it suggests no planting within 6 metres of them.
Wet Februaries
The Bureau's Bellambi station averages 149.8 mm of rain in February, its wettest month, and 12.2 days a year with 25 mm or more. Sydney Water says stormwater can overload its network in heavy rain.
Lines shared between units
18.5% of occupied homes in the Wollongong council area were flats or apartments in 2021. Where owners share a joint private service, Sydney Water holds each of them responsible for it.
Your sewer diagram is online
Sydney Water keeps sewer service diagrams for the Illawarra, available through its Tap in portal. It shows the drain specialist where your pipes run before they start.
Whose blockage is it?
Your part of the sewer runs to Sydney Water's system and includes the point of connection; Sydney Water owns the junction itself. Roots that grow into the junction at that point are also the owner's to clear. An overflow beyond your fence, the same trouble next door, flooding across the area, or sewage that keeps coming while nothing is running all point the other way: our Wollongong page explains Sydney Water's checks.
If the drain blocks in a storm and clears afterwards, rainwater may be getting into the sewer. A drain specialist can check how your downpipes and gully are connected.
If the plumber finds it's Sydney Water's
Stop and report
The plumber should report the blockage to Sydney Water at the time, rather than clearing its pipe.
Get the job number
Sydney Water issues one when the plumber calls, and your claim must include it.
Gather the paperwork
Keep every invoice. If an invoice doesn't detail the work, add a timesheet or excavation details.
Lodge the claim
You can claim reasonable out-of-pocket costs, up to 2 hours' work. Sydney Water says claims may take up to 8 weeks to process.
Digging, deep pipes and inspections
Sydney Water says it may repair a collapsed private wastewater pipe under a public footpath or road for residential customers, and sections deeper than 2.5 metres. Ask Sydney Water before you pay for that kind of dig.
On your own land, replaced drainage outside the house must be booked for a Building Commission NSW inspection when finished, before the trench is backfilled, and the drainer updates the sewer service diagram. Drainage is specialist work, so the contractor's NSW licence must cover it.
What we would do
Pull your diagram from Tap in so the plumber can see where your line and the junction sit. Tell the drain specialist at the start that a blockage on Sydney Water's side should be reported, not cleared on your bill. If roots keep coming back, ask for camera footage of the pipe and check which trees are within reach of it before choosing between clearing and repair.