If a plumber is responding to a choke/blockage at a Private property, which is connected to the Public Sewer System, the City will reimburse a maximum of 1 hour labour plus 1 hour drain machine hire up to a maximum invoice value of $250 plus GST, effective from 1 Jan 2024. The 1 hour work is for the following:
- Inspecting an Inspection Shaft
- If Inspection Shaft holding water, attempt to clear with drain machine.
- Check upstream manhole.
- Check adjacent property Inspection Shaft
- Notify CKB Wastewater Services staff.
Costs for locating Inspection Shaft and any plumbing works upstream of the Inspection Shaft are to be to the property owner’s cost.
Who owns the Sewer?
Are you unsure where you’re responsibility as a property owner ends in regard to your sewer line?
Click on the link below to see who is responsible.
To see the drawing click here.
Where does the sewer main run?
To see a detailed view of the City's sewer system please Click Here.
What causes blockages?
When fats, oils and grease are disposed of down the drain, it forms large, thick grease balls that clog the sewerage pipes resulting in blockages and overflows, creating environmental health issues, traffic hazards and flooding of homes and businesses. Both domestic households and commercial food handling premises contribute to this issue.
Foods such as cooking oils, milk, cheese, butter, and gravy all include fats, oils and grease and should never be tipped down the sink.
Preventing blockages in your home
- Do not tip cooking oils and fats down the sink. Instead, let the liquid oil or fat cool in a sealable container, or wrap it in paper before placing it in the general waste bin.
- Wipe pots and pans that are oily with a paper towel before rinsing them and then place a paper towel in the bin.
- Don’t wash food scraps, tea leaves or coffee grounds down the sink.
- Place a strainer or screen over the drain when rinsing dishes and empty it into the bin.
- Pouring household chemicals down the drain can also lead to corrosion of your pipes. Over a period of time, these chemicals could lead to weakening the main sewage line.
- Signs of a sewer blockage include slow drainage in your toilet, sink, shower or bath, gurgling noises from your drains, strong odour and sewage overflow in your home or yard.
Foods such as cooking oils, milk, cheese, butter, and gravy all include fats, oils and grease and should never be tipped down the sink.
Preventing blockages in your workplace
- Strain or filter oil in deep fryers to extend the life of the cooking oil.
- Use an absorbent paper towel to soak up fats and grease under fryer baskets and place it into the general waste bin.
- Minimise the use of dish soap in dishwashing operations. Dish soap emulsifies fats, oils and grease and enables it to pass through a grease trap.
City officers are available to meet with businesses to explain best practices and solutions to Fat, Grease and Oil disposal. Please call the City on 9021 9600 to make an appointment.
Only Paper, Pee and Poo belong down the loo!
Did you know that flushing anything other than the 3 P's (Paper (Toilet), Pee and Poo) down the toilet can be very bad for your internal plumbing and the main sewer line? Foreign objects such as feminine hygiene products, baby/wet wipes, Nappies, condoms and rags/clothing can block the sewer and cause major problems. Even small things such as hair, dental floss and cotton buds can get caught in the pipes and build-up to cause obstructions and possible blockages. The safest option for these types of materials is to put them in the bin.
Remember your toilet is not a rubbish bin!
Fats, Oils and Grease in the home
Fats, oils and grease do not go down the drain. Once they cool in the sewer they quickly solidify, sticking to the walls of pipes and clogging them up. If they mix with other items, such as wet wipes then blockages can occur even faster. The pipes that run from your home to the main sewer are only a few inches wide. They can become blocked easily and if this occurs on the house-side of the sewer junction, then you will need to pay for a plumber to get them unblocked. In addition to this, human waste can quickly back up into your street, garden or even your home, causing a disgusting and costly mess - which is completely avoidable.
What to do:
- Recycle used cooking oil or properly dispose of it by pouring it into a sealable container and placing the sealed container in the rubbish bin
- Put food scraps into the rubbish bin, not the sink
- Before washing pots, pans, and dishes, wipe them with dry paper towels. Then throw away the paper towels in the bin
- Place a catch basket or screen over the drain when rinsing dishes, or when peeling or cutting food, then throw the left over scraps in the trash
What not to do:
- Don’t use a garbage disposal or food grinder. Grinding food up does not remove fats, oils and grease. Even non-greasy food scraps can plug your home’s plumbing and sewer network.
- Don’t pour cooking oil, pan drippings, grease or sauces down the sink or even the toilet.
Below are some images of the sewer lines around Kalgoorlie-Boulder
This image is showing a nice clean sewer pipe
The below image is showing a build up of Grease/fats in the main sewer pipe
The below image is of fat build up at the junction point leading into the main sewer line.
Some images of solidified grease/fats from the main sewer line in Kalgoorlie-Boulder
Trees and Tree Roots - what are they doing to your sewer?
Did you know tree roots can block your sewer pipes?
Tree roots can extend about 1.5 times the length of the tree’s branches. A tree’s root system will seek out the nutrients and water needed for its survival. If there is a tiny fracture or gap in your sewer pipe (at the pipe join or caused by ground movement), fine hair-like roots can penetrate the cracks looking for moisture. Once inside, these tiny roots can grow into a mass, blocking and damaging the pipes and causing messy sewage spills.
What can I do to avoid pipe damage?
First, try to find out where your internal sewer pipes run within your property. You can do this by either contacting your local plumber or by popping into the council admin building at 577 Hannan Street, and see if there is a sewer drawing of your property on our system.
It is good to note as well that some areas of Kalgoorlie-Boulder have the main sewer pipes running within their property boundary. If you are unsure if your property contains a main sewer line you can contact the council on 9021 9600 and request to speak to the Wastewater Services Team.
The next step is to choose your tree carefully. Ask your local nursery for advice on the root structure and habits of the trees you are considering. Plants and trees indigenous to your area are often a good choice, as they are adapted to local conditions.
To help you in choosing the appropriate tree/shrub to plant on your property a list has been put together by the Water Corporation. We have included a link to this list for you in our quick links section.
Maintenance Jetting within our sewer system
Sewer jetting is a method of cleaning out sewers and drain lines by using high-pressure water streams through specialised jetting nozzles to dislodge and clear obstructions, such as tree roots, fats/grease and wipes/rags to name a few.
By doing regular sewer jetting we are minimising the risk of blockages and/or sewer overflows within our community. The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has just over 208km of sewer line to maintain and unfortunately, sewer jetting alone is not enough – we need your help.
You can help by disposing of your kitchen fats and oils correctly, making sure that no foreign objects are going down your toilets or drains and if you happen to have a main sewer running through your property that there is nothing built over it or big trees planted on top of the sewer line.