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The local council, local water authority, homeowner, landlord and tenant all have their responsibilities with blocked drains.
Homeowner responsibility – stormwater and sewerage
It is the homeowner's responsibility if the drain blockage / plumbing issue is INSIDE the property boundary i.e. located on the land around the outside of the house, underneath the house or inside the home. Therefore, a plumber needs to be contacted to rectify the issue.
Landlord / Tenant responsibility
As per the Queensland Government Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) the following applies (Source: www.rta.qld.gov.au/during-a-tenancy/maintenance-and-repairs/drains-and-gutters):
“If a drainpipe blockage is a result of fair wear and tear (e.g. tree roots) the property manager/owner is responsible for ensuring the drainpipes are cleared and maintained to a working standard.
If the tenant has caused the blockage (e.g. a child puts a toy down the drain) they may be responsible for the removal of any items that caused the problem. The tenant may also have to pay for the cost of removal and any damage.
However, if the tenant has not done anything to block the gutters, the property manager/owner may be responsible for cleaning them.”
Local council responsibility – stormwater
For stormwater drains and pipes that lead to a property (OUTSIDE of the property boundary), the local council would be responsible. You can find which is your local council using this link – www.getready.qld.gov.au/find-your-local-council
Local water authority responsibility – sewerage
For sewerage drains and pipes that lead to a property (OUTSIDE of the property boundary), the local water authority would be responsible :
Unity Water is the water authority for the council regions of Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Noosa – www.unitywater.com
Urban Utilities is the water authority for the council regions of Brisbane, Ipswich, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim – www.urbanutilities.com.au
Below image source: Unity Water Website
What causes a blocked drain?
Common causes of blocked drains and pipes are:
Human hair
Soap scum
Grease, oils and fats
Coffee grounds
Food scraps
Chemicals
Medicines
Tree and plant roots
Storms (leaves and debris in the gutters being washed into the downpipes)
Pipes being incorrectly installed in the first place
A toilet is not a rubbish bin! Yet, we find the strangest things in blocked drains:
Cotton balls and buds
Nappies and wipes
Personal hygiene products
Teddy bears and other toys
Pet and cat litter
Rocks / stones
This is a great video from the Unity Water Website to show you the problems flushing the above items down a toilet can cause :
What to do if you have a blocked drain!
If the drain / pipe blockage is INSIDE your property's boundary or you don’t know where the blockage is located, please contact Howzat Plumbing. A blocked drain is something that needs to be resolved quickly!
Should it turn out that the blockage is OUTSIDE of your property’s boundary, the below links will take you to some useful information about the costs if a plumber has been called to rectify the problem:
How do you prevent blocked drains?
Blocked drains can be stressful – along with potentially being expensive to fix, they can cause quite the mess – particularly if it is a sewer drain that is blocked!
To help avoid blocked drains:
be mindful of what you send down the kitchen sink
if you can, remove hair and soap scum from your bath and shower drains
don’t flush anything down the toilet that it is not designed for
However, if you find yourself with a blocked drain, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Howzat Plumbing offer a 24 / 7 emergency service to rectify and clear blocked drains. We are based in Chermside, however we have team members located throughout the Brisbane northside and southside, the Moreton Bay and Samford Valley regions, Brisbane's East, Bayside, Western suburbs, CBD and inner-city who will be able to head to your property as a matter of urgency.
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