Whose responsiblity on drain blockage

[Weidong66]

The drain was blocked in my IP. I After doing some inspection work, the plumber dug down 1 metre to expose sewer and council main sewer connection and found the root matter in council connection part of pipe which is suggestive of a council problem.The plumber unblocked the sewer from th house to the inspection opening but the sewer seems to still be blocked on the council side of the sewer. The person from water utility comany was called and came to site but he said that the roots were growing from the owners side of the pipe first and had then grown onto the council side of the connection. So it is not their responsiblity. I have to paid all the bills to the plumber. Could somebody advise whose responsibility it is on this situation?

 

[macca446]

Your tree your problem,Council tree their problem.

 

[bashworth]

It really depends on where the roots are getting into the sewer. Its normally through a cracked pipe or a failed joint.

If the roots are getting in through a crack or joint in the council pipe its a council problem.

Problem is only a cctv survey will prove responsibility $$$$$

 

[wylie]

We had this for the third time recently. First time, we paid our plumber who said it was between our fence line and the sewer connection in the street, and we could have had Urban Utilities clear it at their cost.

Second time, we remembered this advice from our plumber, got Urban Utilities out, same result, no charge to us.

A few weeks ago we had another blockage (probably three in three years) and instead of assuming it was (again) on their land, we booked a 7am call for the next morning (Monday). This time it was tree roots in our yard, clearly visible to me on their TV equipment. Had we assumed it was (again) on their land, we would have been up for a $600 bill if we had asked them to attend on the Sunday night we discovered the blockage. By waiting until 7am the next morning, the cost to us was $220 which is probably not much more than had our own plumber attended.