Wastewater blockages

Signs of a wastewater blockage

Wastewater blockages have a variety of causes. These include tree roots, unflushable items being disposed of in the toilet, oils and fats poured into sinks, and even stormwater overloading our wastewater network during heavy rain. If the signs are ignored, wastewater blockages can create greater problems for you, the community and the environment. If the blocked pipes are on your property, you could be looking at a costly plumbing bill.

You may have a blockage in your pipes if:

• your sinks, bath or toilet empty slowly
• your toilet is not flushing properly or has overflowed
• your toilet or floor drain is making gurgling noises
• wastewater has overflowed from the drain (or gully) near your outside tap.

Toilets and wastewater blockages

Blockages from unflushable items cause overflows that are a health and environmental nightmare. Only flush the 3 Ps: pee, poo and toilet paper. Put everything else in the bin.

• Non-flushable wet wipes contribute to 75% of blockages. Before you flush any type of wet wipe, check it has the 'flushable' icon and ensure it has the Australian standard AS/NZS 5328:2022.
  
• Paper towels are designed for superior absorbency and durability. They don't break down like toilet paper, and shouldn't be flushed.
• Hair doesn't dissolve in water. It floats, and snags easily on other unflushables.
• Tissues don't break down easily in water. When they're flushed, they easily build up.
• Cotton buds are made of materials that don't dissolve in water.

Fats, oil, grease and wastewater blockages

Never pour fats, oils or grease down the drain. They cool and harden when they hit the water in wastewater pipes. They also combine with unflushable toilet waste to create hard-to-remove fatbergs.

• Make sure your sinks have a sink strainer fitted to trap food waste. You can add food waste to compost or put it in the garbage bin.
• Place oily products like food scraps, excess cooking oil, unused milk and other leftovers in sealed containers and put them in the garbage bin.
• You can also recycle cooking oil and motor oil at local Community Recycling Centres. They accept containers holding up to 20 litres.

If the blockage is in our pipes

Sydney Water is responsible for wastewater pipes from our network up to where they connect to your property. The blockage is probably in our pipes if:

• the overflow is visible beyond your property boundary, such as from a maintenance hole located on public land
• your neighbours are experiencing the same problem
• there's widespread flooding in your local area
• you're experiencing a continuous overflow and you're not currently using water on your property.

Call us on 13 20 90 24/7 to report the issue. We'll send a crew to investigate.
 

If overflow from our pipes damages your property

We'll arrange a clean-up and carry out any repairs required to stop the overflow. You'll be assigned a Customer Advocate who will case-manage your complaint and support you through the insurance process. They'll also advise what they can do if you're not insured.

You can claim for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses if you're a customer and you've paid a licensed plumber who found a blockage in our wastewater pipes that they reported to us to investigate. Fill out our customer claim form and we'll send confirmation once we receive your claim. It may take up to 8 weeks to process. Before you fill out the claim form, please make sure that:

• the plumber calls us on 13 20 90 to get a job number – the job number must be included on the form
• you have all invoices and supporting documentation ready to attach
• you provide a timesheet or excavation details if the invoice doesn't give a detailed account of the work completed.

If the blockage is in your private pipes

Property owners are responsible for the private wastewater pipes on their property up to where they connect to our pipes. You'll need to contact a licensed plumber to clear the blockage.

The blockage is probably in your private pipes if:

• your neighbours aren't experiencing a blockage
• your drainage isn't shared with other properties
• there's no flooding in your local area
• you only experience an overflow when using water on your property.