Berwick
Blocked, burst or leaking in Berwick?
Blocked drains, burst pipes and leaks in Berwick, from the old village to the Berwick Waterways wetlands, passed to a licensed plumber day and night.
Plumbing in Berwick
Village clay drains over basalt
Old Berwick has turn-of-the-century and inter-war housing stock close to the main street and the station. Houses of that age were usually plumbed with earthenware sewers and galvanised water pipe, so cracked joints and corroded pipe are expected and a camera goes in before a repair is priced.
Wilson Botanic Park is a former basalt quarry, and the same volcanic rock lies under this part of the suburb. Where it sits near the surface a new trench may hit rock, and the heavy clay weathered from it shrinks and swells with the seasons, cracking old joints.
The village streets carry exotic street tree plantings with a strong avenue character, over drains that are often old earthenware. Roots at the joints are the first suspect for a blockage that keeps coming back, so the camera comes first and relining is more likely than rodding.
Jobs in Berwick
Old clay in heavy ground
Pipe relining
A lining through root-damaged clay joints under the avenue trees of the old village.
Blocked drains
Clay drains cracked as basalt clay shrinks and swells.
CCTV drain inspection
A camera to find the failing joint before any trench is cut in rocky ground.
What it costs: hot water replacement cost, gutter replacement cost, toilet installation cost
Berwick questions
Nature strip pipes, discharge reports and wetland estates
Who owns the stormwater pipe under a nature strip?
The owner does. Casey makes property owners responsible for the drains and pipes that collect stormwater on their property, including those that run under the footpath and nature strip. A broken pipe there is private work, with council consent needed to dig in the reserve.
When should a discharge report be ordered for a new connection?
Early. Casey issues its legal point of discharge report online and says to expect it within ten working days, and a new stormwater connection is designed around it, so the request goes in a couple of weeks before the planned start.
Why does stormwater surcharge on the wetland estate?
The Berwick Waterways precinct is built around wetlands and parks, with a Melbourne Water retarding basin to the north. Those houses sit on low ground, so the discharge point and flood level are checked before stormwater is connected, and some surcharge is expected while the basin is full.
Does heritage control apply to downpipes in old Berwick?
Often. Inside the Berwick Township precinct, a visible change to roof plumbing, downpipes or external pipework on a contributory building is checked with council for a heritage permit before quoting, which adds lead time.
