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City of Wollongong
Resident Visitor Business

You are responsible for maintaining the drainage system and pipes, including stormwater and sewerage, between your property and the Sydney Water Mains (which will usually be under the middle of the road). This even applies to parts of your system that run under public land.

If pipes become blocked due to tree roots or other objects, it will usually be up to the property owner to deal with this.

However you may still be able to make a claim in some cases such as:

  • Your drains have been damaged by an action of Council – like road or footpath works breaking pipes; or
  • If damage has been caused by a problem with Council-managed drains.

For further information on maintenance of drains and pipes please refer to Sydney Water Home Maintenance web page.

Tree roots in pipes

Tree roots entering pipes is a common problem. This will usually only happen if the pipe is already damaged or breaking down and reaching the end of their useful life. As it is up to property owners to maintain their drainage systems, in many cases Council won’t accept liability when the roots of Council-owned trees enter private drains.

Information to include with a drain-related claim

If you're claiming for damage related to a drain, try to include one or more of the following:

  • A copy of the sewer services plan. You can find this on Sydney Water's Tap In website or Dial Before You Dig.
  • Recent aerial images from Google Maps (or similar) clearly showing your property, structures and vegetation, as well as surrounding neighbours.
  • A report from a licensed plumber or other suitably qualified service providers. This should include:
    • Their business name and details.
    • The address of the property they inspected, and a description of the inspection methods they used.
    • Details about the type and age of pipes, their condition, factors that contributed to any damage, and options to repair it.
    • A clear plan of the property's sewer, showing the location of all pipes, flow directions, the location of the damage, and entry points used for inspection.
    • Camera footage of the sewer system that shows the damage or blockage.