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Stormwater/Flood Management

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Urban Drainage Issues

Last modified: January 5, 2006 - 2:21 PM

Ground Water & Surface Water Flows
Concentrated Water Flow
Inter-allotment Drainage
Piping Drainage Easements on Properties
Building Over Drainage Easements

Ground Water & Surface Water Flows

Following a rain event, hillsides may slowly release stored water which may travel over or under ground and end up ponding on or travelling across low lying properties. As this is a natural occurrence, it does not involve Council.

During the development of a property, the property owner is required to minimise distrurbance to the natural overland and/or underground waterflows across his property. In the event that disturbance to the natural overland and/or underground water flows occur then the property owner is responsible to provide an adequate overland and/or underground drainage system to minimise changes to the natural water flows and also prevent structural damage to their property

Any work required to be undertaken to alter the natural water flows across a property must comply with the following conditions:

The natural drainage characteristics of the land must not be altered. This includes colour bond fences recessed into the ground so as to divert flows.
You must not direct water onto another person's property. Refer to Concentrated Water Flow below.
All drainage pits, pipes and trenches must drain to the street or to a Council drainage system. Connection into a Council pit or pipe requires Council approval.
Any filling work can only be carried out with consent from Council. A flooding impact assessment may need to be conducted.

For further information contact Council's Engineering Services Division by telephone, in writing or in person. You will need to provide specific details regarding the location of your property, such as lot number, deposited plan number, street address and town/location.

Concentrated Water Flow

Concentrated water flow involves neighbours discharging water onto your property and this is illegal.

If it can be proven that a neighbour has a downpipe directed towards your property that is causing nuisance water flows onto your property, then you may have grounds to make a formal complaint to Council.

Prior to making a formal complaint to Council, it is necessary to follow the steps below:

Approach the offending property owner, explain the problem and request him/her to rectify the problem. This is the ideal time for the problem to be rectified, as continuing on with a formal complaint to Council could cause animosity between neighbours.
If the offending property owner refuses to rectify the problem, write a formal complaint to Council's Building Inspectors. Outline the problem in as much detail as possible and inform Council of the actions you have taken to try to rectify the problem.
Council will investigate the problem. If it is proven that the neighbouring downpipe is illegally directed towards your property, Council will hold impartial discussions with both parties to see if a common sense approach can be achieved.
Failing a mutual agreement, Council will write a letter to the offending property owner giving a reasonable timeframe for the problem to be rectified.
If the problem is not rectified within this timeframe specified, Council can order the offending property owner to connect the downpipe to the street (this may involve piping uphill) or other approved means of stormwater disposal, including inter-allotment drainage or via on-site dispersion trenching.

For further information contact Council's Building Section by telephone on 02 6591 7200, in writing or in person. You will need to provide specific details regarding the location of your property, such as Lot, DP and street name.

Inter-allotment Drainage

Inter-allotment drainage lines are installed by the developer at the time of construction of the subdivision to facilitate the draining of surface water from lots that are unable to drain to the street.

These easements are generally vested in the owners of the properties that benefit from the easement and maintenance of pipe lines and the easement is the responsibility of the owners of the lots benefited.

If you are not sure if you have interallotment drainage on your property or if you are entitled to drain to an interallotment drain, contact Council's Engineering Services Division by telephone, in writing or in person and ask for advice.

Piping Drainage Easements on Properties

Piping of a drainage easement on a property may be in the form of:

The work being undertaken at the full cost of the property owner; or
The work being undertaken at the full cost of Council.

Irrespective of who is to bear the cost, requests for piping drainage easements are determined by the Engineering Services Division. All requests must be made in writing to the Engineering Services Division, Great Lakes Council, PO Box 450, Forster, NSW, 2428.

Building over Drainage Easements

Building over or on a drainage easement is generally prohibited, except (subject to approval by the Engineering Services Division and Planning & Environmental Services Division) for extremely light buildings such as open carports or other open structures. Council can request the removal of these structures when access to the easement is required.

Contact details
Drainage Engineer
02 6591 7273 (ph)
02 6591 7248 (fax)
council@greatlakes.nsw.gov.au


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