Tootgarook
Blocked, burst or leaking in Tootgarook?
Blocked drains, burst pipes and leaks in Tootgarook, from the foreshore camping grounds to the old swamp inland, passed to a licensed plumber day and night.
Plumbing in Tootgarook
Houses on a drained swamp
Inland from the town are remnants of the Tootgarook swamp, a former tideway with peat, limestone and marine deposition. Peat and soft marine ground compress under load, so drains laid in it can sag or crack at the joints.
Most of the swamp was drained for pastoral, and later, residential land, Victorian Places says. Houses there probably sit over a high water table, so stormwater clears slowly after rain and the outlets and pits are cleared before a house drain is blamed.
After the war a school opened, and Tootgarook then became a beach suburb with foreshore holiday camping. The older holiday houses may still have galvanised supply and early drains, with plastic where they have been renovated.
Jobs in Tootgarook
Soft ground and slow stormwater
Blocked drains
Low spots in sewer lines laid through peat and marine soil.
Pipe relining
Relining a sagging length once a camera finds the dip.
Gutters and downpipes
Roof water on a high water table, taken to an outlet that drains.
What it costs: hot water replacement cost, gutter replacement cost, toilet installation cost
Tootgarook questions
Empty holiday homes and sagging lines
Why do burst pipes here often go unnoticed?
The ABS counted 1,357 unoccupied private dwellings in Tootgarook on census night, well above the Victorian rate. A burst in one of them can soak floors for weeks, so the job starts with arranging access and checking the damage.
Why does the same drain keep blocking?
In soft ground a sag holds water and waste. A camera shows the low point, and relining or relaying that length deals with the cause.
Who looks after the sewer main?
South East Water owns the main; the line from the house to the connection point is the owner's.
