Footscray's workers' cottages and terraces sit on narrow lots, with old clay sewer lines down tight side paths or out to a rear lane. The camera and locator find the fault first, so any dig in a small backyard stays small.
A lot of Footscray's housing dates from the late 1800s and early 1900s, with more added between the wars. Homes of that age almost always started with vitrified clay sewer drains, and many still have long stretches of the original pipe. Some lines have been patched over the decades, some run under a kitchen extension that came later, and some head out the back to a laneway rather than the street.
Clay that old has been through a century of reactive soil movement, so cracked joins and broken sockets are common. The roots of established trees, including figs in older backyards and street trees on the nature strip, follow the moisture in. Sometimes the problem is simpler: grease from a busy kitchen set hard in a pipe with a rough, aged inside surface. Either way, the drain needs a look before anyone decides on a fix.
Century-old joins let roots in, and water starts rising in the shower or floor waste. See tree root removal.
Fat clings to the rough inside of old clay and narrows it bit by bit. See drain cleaning & hydro jetting.
When the fault is under a later addition, a trench is off the table and relining is usually the answer. See pipe relining.
A gully trap that spills over in rain often points to a blockage further down toward the street or lane. See blocked drains.
Access drives how a Footscray job runs. Side paths can be narrow and front yards small, so the crew works from the inspection point or gully, puts the camera through, and uses the locator to mark the line from the surface. That keeps any dig to one small hole where the fault actually is. The same approach carries across Seddon, Yarraville and West Footscray, which share much the same housing stock.
Once the line reaches the property connection point, it becomes Greater Western Water's main; everything on the house side is usually the owner's. If the footage puts the blockage past that point, Greater Western Water is the one to contact.
The same crew, the same camera and the same three priced options on every job in Footscray.
In century-old clay the roots usually come through several joins at once, so the cutter clears them all and the camera counts which ones need sealing.
Tree root removal →Lines under extensions, paths and courtyards can be relined through an existing access point, so the house and garden stay as they are.
Pipe relining →On narrow lots the locator traces the line to the lane or street and marks the fault depth, so a dig is small and in the right place.
Drain locating →Buying an old Footscray house? A camera run shows every join from house to connection.
CCTV drain inspection →Hydro jetting scours grease and scale from the rough inside of old clay pipe rather than poking a hole through it.
Drain cleaning & hydro jetting →A collapsed run of private sewer behind a cottage is dug out and renewed at the one spot the locator marks.
Sewer repairs →Also in Footscray: blocked drains, blocked toilets, drain maintenance, static and isolation testing, drain repairs and replacements, stormwater drain repairs.
Once the camera shows the cause, your quote gives you all three, each with its own price.
Jetted clear today. The lowest price, but if the pipe is damaged it will block again.
The damaged section located, dug up and replaced. Fixes the cause at that spot.
The run relined or replaced, so roots and breaks cannot come back.
Prices depend on what the camera finds. You see all three before any work starts.
Reviews of McQueen Group. Blockage Bros is its drainage crew: same owner, same technicians.
Had Chris and his apprentice come and help with a blocked pipe. At all times Chris was very clear and transparent about what work was required and took the time to show using the camera, explaining why the pipe needed replacing. Thanks guys amazing work.
What a great experience! Initially dealt with Ashley to get an emergency booking and she was absolutely fantastic and assured me everything would be okay and the would fix the problem. I had the pleasure of having Harley come out to my place to fix a very smelly blocked drain problem and he was great. Called before arriving and once here, was very transparent with everything he needed to do, reassured me he would be able to fix it and then once he did fix it, made sure it was clean and even turned my fans on to air the crap smell. Will definitely recommend these guys and will 100% use them again if I need to!
Ryan and Michael from McQueen group provided me with thorough and very helpful advice. They did a great job identifying the reason my shower wouldn't drain properly and they fixed the problem efficiently. They were very professional and friendly to deal with. Highly recommended.
Great work by Chris today, really appreciate response to call out on a weekend, and fixed the blockage for us!
Daniel was earlier than scheduled time, he phoned me to advise he was on his way, i appreciate that very much. Attended property for toilet blockage, able to fix promptly and also gave me some tips for moving forward to help avoid blockages, very knowledgeable and assured they'd be back immediately if I experience any further issues. I'm very impressed and would highly recommend. Thanks team
Ryan was fast and efficient at fixing a clogged drainage system. Thanks guys!
Massive shout out to Brandon for attending my rental in kurunjang twice in a matter of afew weeks due to a blockage in the drain. He was friendly, extremely professional and efficient in both visits. He did an outstanding job rectifying the issue and for that I am extremely grateful and appreciative for all his efforts and hard work. Thanks Brandon!
Yes. The camera, jetter and relining gear go in through the existing inspection point or gully, and the locator works from the surface, so tight access rarely stops a job.
In Footscray it can be either. The camera and locator trace the line and show you where it goes and where it meets the main.
If the pipe still holds its shape, relining seals every crack and join in one go without digging. A section that has collapsed cannot be relined, so we price that repair instead.
A blocked sewer raises a quick question: is this mine, the landlord's or the water authority's? Here is the general picture in Victoria, and why the camera footage settles it.
Read the guide →
Dirty water rising up through the shower or a floor waste is a sign the main sewer line is blocked. Here is what to do in the next ten minutes, and what happens when the crew arrives.
Read the guide →If the same drain blocks again and again, something in the pipe is letting it happen. Here is what usually causes it, why clearing alone only buys time, and how to stop it.
Read the guide →We find it. We fix it. Ring now and someone on call picks up, day or night.