Who Is Responsible For Storm Water Drains In NSW?

Waterlogged on street after rain due to badly clogged drainage system

We all know what stormwater management is for. In fact, the way water runoff is collected and directed via your gutters and downpipes and hastened into your drains and ultimately the community’s waste management system is one of the ways the developed world stands so proudly. The issue of stormwater runoff regulations and responsibility, however, is a lot less clear.

For instance, poor stormwater management on your property isn’t just your problem – with all of the flooding, mess, damage and health hazards it brings. Stormwater can also affect your neighbours and the wider local community, as uncontrolled waste spills into yards, roads and elsewhere. Worse still, stormwater regulations differ from council to council and from state to state.

Who is responsible for storm water drains (NSW)?

It may be tempting to wonder who is responsible for stormwater runoff and conclude that that’s why you pay your council rates – because it’s their responsibility. However, as a property owner, it’s important to know that you have your responsibilities, too.

For instance:

• It’s your responsibility to control how water drains off your roof and into your stormwater pipes and system.
• It’s your responsibility to keep your stormwater components in good condition and in compliance with council requirements.
• If applicable, it’s your responsibility to accept and not interfere with natural overland flow from neighbouring properties.
• It’s your responsibility to make sure any building on your property, including sheds, have suitable stormwater management systems that are connected to community inlets.
• It’s your responsibility to ensure stormwater doesn’t flow onto your neighbour’s property.
• It’s your responsibility to respect and maintain any stormwater-related easements.

If that sounds like quite a bit of responsibility, you’d be right. Get any of it wrong, and you could find yourself the target of complaints and subsequent council action. And in the event that a neighbour’s stormwater mismanagement is causing you grief, there’s a well-defined process for letting the council know about it.

How to navigate NSW stormwater runoff regulations?

First, ensure the problem is only about surface water spilling across your neighbour’s boundary into your property. You will then need to produce evidence that backs up your claims about actual or likely damage, and show that the water is concentrating in a particular area on your property because of the neighbour’s system.

An NSW council may not take action if the problem only happens when a particularly heavy storm has occurred, the water run-off is natural, or the water is flowing from an area like a driveway. If the problem is caused by you or your neighbour’s own stormwater system problems – like blocked stormwater drains or damaged pipes – then you’ll need to swiftly address that problem.

Supercharge your stormwater with Affordable Plumbing Solutions

Luckily, there’s a true expert in stormwater drainage solutions near you! At Affordable Plumbing Solutions, we’re standing by to help you out of a stormwater bind – whether the neighbours are complaining, the council is on your case, or you’re getting in fast before the real trouble begins. We have been creatively solving stormwater problems with the best gear, the best-licensed local Sydney plumbers, and fully guaranteed workmanship for years upon years.

Solve your stormwater headache with Affordable Plumbing Solutions by getting in touch today.