Footscray
Blocked, burst or leaking in Footscray?
Blocked drains, burst pipes and leaks in Footscray, from the basalt rise by the river to the former munitions estate, passed to a licensed plumber day and night.
Plumbing in Footscray
Timber boom houses on basalt and long yards
Where the old township climbs from the Maribyrnong there is a layer of basalt, once quarried, so rock sits a short way down in the older streets. Trenching there may need a rock saw, which is one reason filming and relining the old pipe often costs less than digging.
The houses of the eighteen nineties boom were mostly of timber, but on larger allotments than in other inner suburbs. A bigger yard means a longer run of old earthenware drain with more joints for roots, so the whole length is filmed before a quote.
Only 31.5 percent of Footscray's occupied dwellings were separate houses at the last census, so most drains serve flats, townhouses and shared sites. Whether a blocked line is private or common property is settled, with the owners corporation's authority, before it is cleared.
Jobs in Footscray
Long clay runs, shared lines and fig roots
Blocked drains
Common lines under flats and townhouses, cleared once the owners corporation agrees.
Pipe relining
A lining for long clay runs in rock, or under protected ground near the river.
CCTV drain inspection
Filming the full length of an old drain on a boom era lot before any quote.
What it costs: hot water replacement cost, gutter replacement cost, toilet installation cost
Footscray questions
Wharves, figs and the munitions estate
Does a full inspection shaft mean the fault is not mine?
Usually. Greater Western Water says the blockage is likely in its network when water keeps rising from the gully and shaft with nothing running, or the inspection shaft is full of water. The job then becomes a call to its faults line, not private work.
Can a drain be dug up near the old wharves?
Not straight away. The Saltwater River Crossing Site and Footscray Wharves are on the Victorian Heritage Register with archaeological remains below ground, so digging there needs Heritage Victoria's consent. The job is scoped with a camera, and a lining keeps trenching to a minimum.
Why do drains near Footscray Park fill with roots?
The park's significant trees include a Hill's Fig and an Exeter Elm, among the largest rooting species a Melbourne drain is likely to meet. Their roots enter at every joint, so the line is filmed, the roots are cut and the joints lined rather than dug under protected trees.
Who decides on a drain in the former munitions estate?
North of Quarry Park the Commonwealth munitions factory became a medium density housing estate, with modern PVC drains shared between many homes. A blockage there is usually in a common line that needs the owners corporation's consent, and digging near the old tip boundary meets fill rather than natural ground.
