It depends on where the blockage is. The water authority looks after the sewer main. The drain from your house to the property connection point is usually the owner's responsibility. In a rental, a blocked or faulty toilet or sewer is generally treated as an urgent repair that the rental provider arranges. The camera footage is what shows which side of that line the blockage sits on.
This is a general guide, not legal advice. Responsibilities and rules can change, so check with your water authority and, for rentals, with Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Where does my drain end and the water authority's sewer begin?
Every home's sewer drain runs from the fixtures inside, out under the yard, to a property connection point where it joins the sewer main. The main is the shared pipe that carries waste away from many properties.
- The sewer main is looked after by the water authority.
- The property's own drain, from the house to the connection point, is usually the owner's responsibility.
It is not always obvious where the connection point is on a given block. Your water authority can tell you, and the camera and locator can show where the line runs and where the blockage is along it.
Which water authority looks after my area?
Across the areas Blockage Bros covers, the sewer mains are looked after by:
- Greater Western Water: Melbourne's west and north-west, including Melton, Bacchus Marsh, Sunbury, Brunswick, Essendon and Footscray.
- Yarra Valley Water: Craigieburn, Epping, Reservoir and Preston.
- Barwon Water: Geelong, Lara and Torquay.
- Central Highlands Water: Ballarat.
- Coliban Water: Kyneton.
If you think the blockage is in the main, check with your water authority. They can tell you what they look after and what they need from you.
Who pays if I am renting?
In Victoria, a blocked or faulty toilet or sewer is generally treated as an urgent repair, and arranging it is the rental provider's job. If it happens to you as a renter, tell the rental provider or property manager straight away, and put it in writing as well as ringing.
There are rules about what a renter can do if the rental provider cannot be reached, with limits that change from time to time. Check Consumer Affairs Victoria for the current rules and limits before arranging a repair yourself. Who pays can also turn on what caused the blockage, which is another reason the footage matters.
What about landlords and property managers?
Many homes across Melbourne's west and north are rentals, and a repair is easier to approve with the cause on camera and a written list of options. That is what Blockage Bros provides on every job: footage of the line, the fault located from the surface, and three priced options in writing before any work starts. For rentals with a drain that is known to block, preventative drain maintenance keeps it jetted and the roots cut on a schedule between repairs.
What does the camera footage prove?
The footage is the evidence. On every job, a CCTV drain camera goes down the line, and you see it on screen on the day. It shows:
- Where along the run the blockage is.
- What caused it: roots through a cracked join, a crack, a collapse, fat or wipes.
- If the pipe itself is damaged, or simply blocked.
The locator then pinpoints the fault and its depth from the surface. Put together, that shows which side of the connection point the problem is on. If it is in the private drain, it is usually the owner's to fix, and that is the work covered on our sewer repairs page. If the footage shows the problem is in the main, that is something to take to your water authority.
The written quote refers to the footage, so the owner, the renter, the property manager and the authority can all look at the same thing. There is more on how the camera and locator work on the CCTV drain camera inspections and drain locating pages.
What does it cost?
It depends on where the blockage is and what caused it. Once the camera shows the cause, three priced options go in writing before any work starts:
- Option 1, the quick fix: clear it with jetting or root cutting. It costs the least today, but a damaged pipe will block again.
- Option 2, the proper repair: dig and replace the damaged section at the spot the locator found.
- Option 3, the permanent solution: reline or replace the whole run.
The person responsible for the drain chooses, with the footage in front of them.
What should I do first?
- If sewage is coming up inside, stop using water and keep people away from it.
- If you rent, tell your rental provider or property manager straight away.
- Get the line looked at with a camera so the cause and the location are on record.
- If the footage points to the main, check with your water authority.
Need the cause on camera and the options in writing? Contact Blockage Bros. Someone is on call 24/7 across Melbourne's west and north-west, Geelong, Ballarat and Kyneton.
