Claim for wastewater blockages

Guide for licensed plumbers

If you're a licensed plumber and you have eligible expenses from investigating a wastewater blockage that is in our pipes, submit a claim. You could be entitled to reimbursement.

Before you start work

Please don't start work unless you're clear on where the property owner's responsibilities for wastewater service repairs begin and end. Here's everything you need to know about how we may be able to help keep costs to a minimum and ensure you’re on track if you need to make a claim.
 

Before you submit a claim

If a customer has asked you to investigate a blocked wastewater system, make sure you follow these steps.
 

Step 1 Find the overflow

If there's a continuous overflow from a gully or fitting when no showers, toilets or washing machines are in use, the issue is probably in our wastewater system.
 

Step 2 Check for overflows on neighbouring properties

If neighbours are also experiencing problems, the issue is probably in our wastewater system.
 

Step 3 Locate and clear blockages

If the overflow isn't continuous, use appropriate techniques (such as drain-clearing equipment) to check and clear any blockages in the property's private service.
 

Step 4 Call us if you can't clear the blockage

Call us immediately on 13 20 90 to report the fault. Provide your licence number, name and contact number. We'll give you a work order number and send a maintenance crew to verify the blockage and clear our wastewater system. Do not begin any excavation before calling us, as we must inspect the main line.
 

Step 5 See how much we can do

Our maintenance crew will locate and check our access chambers. They will jet the wastewater pipe using a high-pressure water jetter.

If our crew finds our wastewater pipe is clear and the customer's service is still blocked, then the blockage is in the customer's private service. It's the customer's responsibility to pay for plumbing repairs.
 

Step 6 Ensure it's an eligible claim

You can only claim for a maximum of 2 hours work. We'll only consider claims submitted for services provided by licensed plumbers, and we check licence numbers. We must have provided you with confirmation that the blockage is in our pipes.

What you can claim for

• Reasonable costs for a single visit. We may question the claim if it includes visits to nearby properties at about the same time
• Excavation or CCTV work if approval was obtained from our authorised representative before work was done. If we approved excavation, you may be reimbursed for road-opening costs.

What you can't claim for

• Additional work done on the property's private plumbing service.
• Loss, damage or retrieval of equipment, eels or CCTV cameras.
• Location of private surface fittings.
• Excavation to locate the inspection opening for the private service
• Excavation of the wastewater junction. The exception is a takeover and the proper process has been followed.

Find out more about responsibility for repairs, including when we may take over repairs on junctions.