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Where your responsibility begins and ends
The property owner is normally responsible for maintaining their private drinking water, recycled water and wastewater systems up to where they connect to our services. The diagrams below are a guide for property owners, developers and plumbers. They will help you work out where your responsibilities end and ours begin.
Drinking water system
- Property owners own all drinking water pipes and fittings from where they connect to our water system to the buildings and/or taps on their property.
- Your drinking water system may extend beyond your property boundary.
- You're responsible for maintaining all assets you own.
- We may repair your water pipe for free between our water system and the meter, up to one metre inside your property boundary.
Find out more about maintenance responsibilities in our Customer Contract.
Drinking water system
The most common type of drinking water connection for an individual property. It shows what property owners are typically responsible for maintaining and what Sydney Water is responsible for maintaining.
Recycled water system
- Property owners own all recycled water pipes and fittings from where they connect to our recycled water system to the buildings and/or taps on their property.
- Your recycled water system may extend beyond your property boundary.
- You're responsible for maintaining all assets that you own.
- Under certain conditions, we may investigate a failure of your recycled water system and do repairs as a free service.
Find out more about maintenance responsibilities in our Customer Contract.
Recycled water system
A typical recycled water and drinking water arrangement in our recycled water areas. It shows what property owners are responsible for maintaining and what Sydney Water is responsible for maintaining.
Gravity wastewater system
- Property owners own all wastewater pipes and fittings up to where they connect to our water system, including the point of connection.
- Your wastewater system may extend beyond your property boundary.
- You're responsible for maintaining all assets that you own.
- Under certain conditions, we may repair collapsed private pipes that form part of your wastewater system on public land as a free service under our Collapsed Private Service in Public Land Program.
- You mustn't allow rainwater or stormwater to enter your wastewater system.
Find out more about maintenance responsibilities in our Customer Contract.
Gravity wastewater system
A simplified view of a typical gravity wastewater system within our network. It shows what property owners are typically responsible for maintaining and what Sydney Water is responsible for maintaining.
Vacuum wastewater system
- Property owners own all wastewater pipes and fittings up to where they connect to our wastewater system in a vacuum wastewater system area, including the point of connection.
- Your wastewater system may extend beyond your property boundary.
- You're responsible for maintaining all assets that you own.
- You mustn't allow rainwater or stormwater to enter your wastewater system.
Find out more about maintenance responsibilities in our Customer Contract.
Vacuum wastewater system
A typical vacuum wastewater system arrangement that services multiple properties. It shows what property owners are typically responsible for maintaining and what Sydney Water is responsible for maintaining.
Pressure sewerage systems
Privately owned equipment
- Property owners own all wastewater pipes and fittings up to where they connect to our wastewater system. This includes the point of connection and the pressure sewerage equipment that you privately own.
- You're responsible for maintaining all assets that you own.
- Your wastewater system may extend beyond your property boundary.
- You mustn't allow rainwater or stormwater to enter your wastewater system.
Find out more about maintenance responsibilities in our Customer Contract.
Pressure sewerage system – privately owned equipment
A typical pressure sewerage system arrangement where the property owner owns the pressure sewerage equipment. It shows what property owners are responsible for maintaining and what Sydney Water is responsible for maintaining.
Sydney Water owned equipment – single property
- Sydney Water owns and maintains all of the pressure sewerage equipment and assets on the property that connect to our wastewater system.
- Property owners own all wastewater pipes and fittings up to where they connect to our wastewater system, including the point of connection.
- You're responsible for maintaining all assets that you own.
- Your wastewater system may extend beyond your property boundary.
- You mustn't allow rainwater or stormwater to enter your wastewater system.
Find out more about maintenance responsibilities in our Customer Contract.
Pressure sewerage system – Sydney Water owned equipment – single property
A typical pressure sewerage system arrangement where Sydney Water owns the pressure sewerage equipment. It shows what property owners are responsible for maintaining and what Sydney Water is responsible for maintaining.
Sydney Water owned equipment – multiple properties
- Sydney Water owns and maintains all of the pressure sewerage equipment and assets that service multiple properties. This equipment connects to our wastewater system.
- Property owners own all wastewater pipes and fittings up to where they connect to our wastewater system, including the point of connection.
- You're responsible for maintaining all assets that you own.
- Your wastewater system may extend beyond your property boundary.
- You mustn't allow rainwater or stormwater to enter your wastewater system.
Find out more about maintenance responsibilities in our Customer Contract.
Pressure sewerage system – Sydney Water owned equipment – multiple properties
A typical pressure sewerage system arrangement where Sydney Water owns the pressure sewerage equipment that services multiple properties. It shows what property owners are responsible for maintaining and what Sydney Water is responsible for maintaining.
