Sewer odour

Here are common causes of odours outside or nearby your property:

• Mulch, fertilisers and decomposing plant or animal matter 
• If you live near creeks, dams or rivers, long periods of dry weather can also cause certain bodies of water to stagnate and give off an unpleasant smell. If you live near the beach, coral spawn and seaweed deposits can also cause odour.
• Long periods of rain can also cause a temporary sewer smell to come up through floor drains.
• Check if there is a native shrub Phyllanthus cuscutiflorus in your area. This tree is known to emit a strong, unpleasant smell when flowering.
• Hydrogen sulphide (the rotten egg smell) may come from nearby infrastructure like sewage pump stations and sewage treatment plants.

Unitywater strives to minimise odour as much as possible, but by their nature, sewer pipes will occasionally give off a smell as they transport sewage to the treatment plant.

If you've ruled out all the possible sources of odour we've listed above, and you have a persistent odour coming from outside you property that won't go away, please report the issue by contacting us.

If possible, please take note of the following information before you report the issue:

• Do you know which direction the odour is coming from?
• What time of day did you first notice the smell?
• Do you know if your neighbours have noticed it as well?
• Has this happened previously and if so, what are the details? 

This information will assist us to respond to your issue as quickly as possible.