What goes wrong
Common faults in clay and earthenware sewers
When older sewer lines in Golden Square are inspected, the same handful of problems tend to turn up:
- Displaced joints, where one length of pipe has shifted out of line with the next and left a lip that catches waste
- Root intrusion through gaps in the joints, which can fill the pipe completely over time
- Cracked or broken sections caused by ground movement, age or pressure from roots
- Sagging sections, where the pipe has dropped and water pools instead of flowing
- Soil washing in through broken sections, where grit enters the pipe and settles
Each of these behaves differently, which is why guessing from the surface rarely gives a reliable answer.
Many of these faults develop slowly. A line can drain reasonably well for years while roots and debris collect at a displaced joint, then block suddenly when something larger snags on the obstruction.
See before you dig
Why CCTV and pipe locating matter here
Older properties often have little or no record of where the sewer runs. Extensions, sheds and paving may have been built over the line decades ago, which makes a camera inspection especially valuable in Golden Square.
We feed a CCTV camera through the pipe and record what it finds. An electromagnetic locator then picks up the camera's signal from above ground, so the position and depth of a fault can be marked on the surface. If a repair is needed, digging can be limited to the right spot instead of opening up half the yard. The footage also shows whether you are dealing with a single fault or several along the line. Learn more about our drain camera inspections.
Clearing the line
Jetting an old sewer the right way
High-pressure water jetting suits clay sewers well, because the water does the cutting and flushing, scouring roots, grease and silt from along the full length of the line. Where the camera shows cracking or a badly displaced joint, we take that into account in how the line is cleared, and the footage helps you plan the next step with a plumber if a pipe is too damaged to rely on.
Once a sound pipe is flowing again, maintenance jetting at sensible intervals can keep root regrowth in check. It also helps to know where your overflow relief gully is and keep its grate clear, since it lets sewage spill outside rather than inside if the line blocks again. If you have a blocked sewer in Golden Square right now, see our blocked sewer service or call us directly.
Responsibility
Who looks after the sewer on an older block?
Generally, the owner is responsible for the private sewer pipes on their property up to the connection with Coliban Water's sewer main. In older suburbs, that private section can be long and may pass beneath several structures before it meets the main.
Knowing where your line runs and what condition it is in is handy information to have, particularly if you are renovating or buying an older home in the area.
If you are planning an extension, a new driveway or a big garden project, find the sewer before work begins. Building over an old clay line can make future access difficult, and any weakness in the pipe is far easier to deal with before it is covered.
