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  5. Is your downpipe legal?

Is your downpipe correctly connected?

Stormwater, including the downpipe from the roof of your house, should not be connected to the sewerage system and should not drain into the Overflow Relief Gully on your property. 

An incorrect connection to the sewerage system increases the chance of a sewage overflow on your property.

Stormwater and sewerage are two separate systems that should never mix.

Unitywater can test whether stormwater is entering the sewerage network.

If we identify an incorrect connection on your property, you may be required to call a licensed plumber/drainer fix the problem.

When sewage overflows occur

When sewage has been discharged through manholes or other overflow points we will:

  • assign work crews to contain spills, clean and disinfect affected areas
  • assign specialist environmental staff to conduct sampling and monitoring
  • barricade affected areas if sewage spills are ongoing
  • erect signage to notify residents of sewage spill (when a public area or waterway has been impacted)
  • divert sewage flows into less inundated parts of the system
  • get tankers to pump sewage directly from the system to relieve the pressure on particular pump stations
  • conduct water-quality testing to ensure that waterways are not polluted with unacceptable bacteria levels.

We also work with councils to protect public health and, as a result of wet-weather incidents, beaches and waterways may be closed.


We strongly advise all residents and visitors to stay out of flood-affected waters during and after a storm, as the water may contain snags, sharp objects, stormwater-diluted sewage, chemical waste, fallen powerlines and wildlife.
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