Sewer blockages

Your toilet is designed to take only the three P's — pee, poo and toilet paper. Council's wastewater system carries these away, along with the wastewater from your sinks, showers and laundry.

Many everyday items are bad news for your household plumbing and can cause expensive blockages when flushed or washed down the drain. Put "fatberg" into your favourite search engine and you might just rethink how you dispose of some of these:

• fats or solids - these can solidify and build up in your pipes, trapping other items
• wet wipes, paper towel, hygiene and sanitary products - toilet paper is designed to break down quickly in water, but these products are designed to absorb fluid while holding their shape
• clothing - cleaning soiled nappies and underwear is no fun, but flushing them can be an expensive exercise if a plumber is needed to unblock your pipes
• toys - children are naturally curious, but some need reminding that, unlike in the movies, toys that go down the drain don't come back!

Other common factors that can contribute to blockages and overflows include:

• tree roots entering and growing inside pipework
• stormwater entering and overloading the sewerage network - Overflow Relief Gullies (ORG) are not designed to collect water from roofwater pipes

Signs of a sewer blockage

• your toilet isn't flushing properly or is overflowing
• slow drainage in your sinks, shower or bath
• gurgling noises from your toilet or floor drains
• the inspection opening to surface (IOS) or overflow relief gully (ORG) on your property is overflowing.

During periods of heavy rain, you may notice gurgling toilets or slow-flowing drains. This is caused by the sewerage network becoming temporarily overloaded and will resolve on its own as levels return to normal. Illegal stormwater connections to the sewer, such as roof or yard drainage, also contribute to network overloading during these events.

What to do if you think you have a sewer blockage

If you suspect a blockage in your sewer, the guidance below will help you work out whether the blockage is on your property or in Council's sewer main. Knowing this will help you decide whether to call a plumber or Redland City Council.

I live in a private estate, gated community, unit complex, duplex or have a body corporate

Please contact your body corporate to look into the sewer blockage.

Only one or a few of my sinks or toilets are draining slowly or are blocked

There may be a blockage in your plumbing, and you'll need to investigate further. If only one sink or toilet is draining slowly or blocked while everything else works fine, the problem is most likely in your home's plumbing.

You can contact the Master Plumbers' Association of Queensland for a recommendation to a qualified plumber. Make sure the plumber has specialised tools such as jet rodding and a pipe inspection camera (CCTV) to do the job.

My overflow relief gully (ORG) is overflowing when no water is being used in my property

The Overflow Relief Gully (ORG) is a drain-like feature that directs sewage outside your house if there's a blockage or if the sewer system becomes overloaded during storms.

Below is a picture of what it might look like:

If there's an overflow when no water is being used at the property, the blockage is likely to be in Council's sewer main. Clear away anything blocking the ORG and check that its grate can move up and down freely.

Contact us and we will look into the issue.

I cannot locate my Inspection Opening to Surface (IOS)

The inspection opening to surface (IOS) provides access to your underground sewer pipes. The cap is usually a flat, round, white PVC disk about 180 millimetres in diameter.

All houses built after 1990 should have an inspection opening cap installed. There may be one, several, or none on your property, usually within 1-2 metres of the front, side or back boundary, though they may be buried or hidden by landscaping. As these are part of your property's internal plumbing, they are the property owner's responsibility to install and maintain.

If you don't know where your sewer main is located, use our online Red-e-Map tool to locate it using your address. Sewer connection locations are shown as orange icons. Alternatively, you can contact us.

My IOS is holding water or draining slowly

If the inspection opening to surface (IOS) is holding liquid, draining slowly, or overflowing when a tap is used inside the property, contact us and we will investigate further. There may be a blockage in Council's sewer main.

My IOS is dry

If the inspection opening to surface (IOS) is dry when a tap is used inside the property, there may be a blockage in your plumbing and you'll need to investigate further.

You can contact the Master Plumbers' Association of Queensland for a recommendation to a qualified plumber. Make sure the plumber has specialised tools such as jet rodding and a pipe inspection camera (CCTV) to do the job.

Reimbursement

If a wastewater blockage occurs within your property, you must first engage a plumber to inspect your internal plumbing and confirm the blockage is not on your side. If the plumber uses CCTV and other equipment to check your private drain and finds the blockage is in Council's sewer main, you may be able to claim back some of their costs. Follow the steps below.

1. Report the blockage to Council straight away

As soon as your plumber confirms the blockage is a Council issue, contact Council to report it. You will be given a reference number — keep it, as you will need it to claim. Reporting promptly is a condition of reimbursement, so don't delay. Council will also need some time to attend and assess the blockage.

2. Check what you can claim

Reimbursement is capped at $500 (including GST) unless exceptional circumstances apply, in which case supporting evidence is required. It usually covers around 1 hour of labour and 15 minutes of combined CCTV and jet-rodding.

To be eligible, all of the following must be met:

• the blockage is found to be caused by a defect in Council's wastewater infrastructure
• you or your plumber reported the blockage to Council immediately once it was identified as a Council issue
• the work was carried out by a licensed plumber.

What reimbursement does not cover

Reimbursement is not available for:

• Repeat plumber visits. Council needs time to attend and assess the reported blockage, and will not pay for repeat visits during this period.
• Work on your private sewer. This includes exposing or installing an inspection opening to surface (IOS). Installing, maintaining, locating or uncovering the IOS is the property owner's responsibility.
• Excessive investigation work caused by private wastewater drainage that does not meet the Plumbing Code of Australia. Your private drainage is expected to meet this code.
• Excavation work. A plumber using a jet rodder and CCTV camera should be able to identify whether a blockage is beyond the property connection without needing to excavate.
• Additional time or costs from inexperience, errors or faulty equipment. Plumbers are expected to have the right expertise and equipment to carry out the investigation in a timely manner.
• Blockages in the property connection caused by inappropriate materials such as wet wipes, toys or other items that don't break down easily in the sewer system (see the diagram below).
• Investigations during or after weather events where network inundation has affected properties. If your property was affected by network inundation from a weather event, please visit Personal injury or property damage claims against Council for any claims or reimbursement requests.

As shown in the diagram below, wastewater pipes are laid with a fall (downward slope) away from the dwelling toward Council's sewer main, draining wastewater away from your toilets and sinks. Fats, oils and inappropriate materials flushed into the sewer can build up in your property connection over time.

3. Submit your claim

Once you have your reference number, the plumber's invoice and proof that you have paid it, complete the reimbursement request form and attach these documents.

We will assess your claim and advise you of the outcome by email or letter within 20 business days.