Wet and wild weather events can occur from November through to April in South-East Queensland, which can present challenges to property owners and the local wastewater network.
Unitywater Executive Manager Customer Delivery Rhett Duncan said wastewater and stormwater systems are two separate networks that shouldn’t mix.
“When stormwater enters the wastewater system, the increased flow can overwhelm it, causing maintenance holes to release excess water – something they’re designed to do to relieve pressure and avoid flooding on private properties,” Mr Duncan said.
“A simple check we can all do at home involves locating your Overflow Relief Gully (ORG), a round fixture in each backyard resembling a drain with a grate on top.
“The ORG ensures any back up in the wastewater network is released outside the property rather than overflowing internally.
“The ORG should be kept clear of any items like pot plants or garden ornaments on top, to allow it to do its job by releasing water if the system becomes too full.”
Unitywater conducts proactive checks across its 800 pump stations and 6,200km of wastewater pipes year-round to help prevent stormwater from entering and says property owners can do their own checks at home.
“It’s also essential to check your downpipes are connected to the stormwater system which can generally be confirmed if the pipe is connected to an outdoor drain. If it disappears underground, chances are your downpipes are connected to the wastewater network and will need to be inspected and rectified,” Mr Duncan said.
Unitywater’s storm season checklist:
Be aware:
- Head to unitywater.com/wetweather to learn more about the wastewater network and your property.
Be prepared:
- Locate your Overflow Relief Gully (ORG) and ensure nothing is sitting on top of it.
- Check that your downpipe connection is legal (and not connected to the wastewater network).
- Power outages can cause water outages - keep 5 litres of water stocked in case this happens.
- Complete backwashing of your pool in dry periods rather than before, during, or immediately after heavy rain.
- Only flush the 3Ps: pee, poo and (toilet) paper.
Take action:
- Log in to ‘My Account’ to update your phone number to receive SMS alerts.
- Check for outages on our online map: https://www.unitywater.com/faults-and-outages
