In Geelong, who is responsible for blocked sewer drains – and who pays – depends on where the blockage is. Barwon Water is responsible for the sewer main and the connection up to the first inspection opening on your property, or one metre inside the boundary, whichever is less – and it covers reasonable costs if the blockage is in that section. Everything past that point belongs to the property owner. In a rental, the owner (the rental provider), not the tenant, organises and pays for the repair unless the tenant caused the damage.
Below, we explain where that line sits, how to tell which side of it your blockage is on, and what to do before anyone gets a bill. Everything here is from Barwon Water, Consumer Affairs Victoria and the City of Greater Geelong, checked on 15 October 2026.
- Where your pipe ends and Barwon Water’s begins
- How to tell whose side the blockage is on
- Who pays: the three common answers
- What about tree roots?
- Sewer vs stormwater: two different systems
- What to do right now
- Frequently asked questions
Where your pipe ends and Barwon Water’s begins
Every toilet, shower, basin and sink in your house drains into your private sewer pipes. These run under the house and yard to a connection branch, which joins Barwon Water’s sewer main – usually in the street, sometimes in an easement along the back or side of the block.
Two fittings in the yard matter. The inspection shaft (IS) is a vertical pipe set in concrete with a lid marked “IS”. The overflow relief gully (ORG) is a vertical pipe with an open vent; it lets sewage spill outside, rather than into the house, if the line blocks.
Barwon Water’s Customer Charter sets out exactly where its responsibility ends:
- If the sewer main is outside your property, Barwon Water maintains the connection up to the first inspection opening inside your boundary – or one metre inside the boundary if the opening is further in than that, or if there isn’t one.
- If the sewer main runs through your property, Barwon Water maintains the connection up to the first inspection opening after the main, or one metre from the main.
- Owners are responsible for everything else, including shared sewer drains that run across another property before reaching Barwon Water’s pipe.
How to tell whose side the blockage is on
Barwon Water lists these signs of a sewer blockage: a strong smell inside the home; sinks, bath or toilet slow to empty; a toilet that isn’t flushing properly or has overflowed; gurgling from the toilet or floor drain; and sewage rising through the inspection shaft or overflow relief gully in the yard.
To work out whose problem it is, stop using water inside and look at the IS or ORG outside:
- Overflowing all the time, even with nothing running inside? Barwon Water asks you to call it immediately – the blockage is likely in its pipes.
- Overflowing only when you run a tap, shower or flush? Barwon Water says the blockage is likely in your internal pipes, and you’ll need a plumber at your own expense.
Sewage overflowing outside when nothing inside is running? Call Barwon Water first on 1300 656 007 – it takes sewer fault calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you can’t find your inspection shaft
It may be buried under soil, paving or a garden bed, or the property may not have one. Barwon Water says that if you call it to clear a blockage and the IS is buried, it will ask you to expose it, and will come back once the IS has been raised to the surface. Exposing or installing the IS fitting is not something Barwon Water pays for.
Barwon Water also asks owners with a history of blockages in the house connection drain to call it before engaging a plumber, so it can advise on the best option.
Who pays: the three common answers
1. The blockage is in Barwon Water’s section
Barwon Water covers reasonable costs for removing it. There are conditions:
- Barwon Water must have been told about the blockage and confirmed it was in its pipes.
- The plumber must refer the blockage to Barwon Water and get an approval number. Barwon Water won’t pay a plumber who didn’t.
- Barwon Water limits reimbursement to roughly an hour’s work (attending, diagnosing and removing the blockage) – its sewer blockages page states the current cap.
- It won’t cover CCTV work used to find the blockage unless it asked for it, work on your private drains, or exposing or installing the inspection shaft fitting.
Barwon Water prefers plumbers to invoice it directly. If your plumber invoices you, forward the invoice and payment receipt to Barwon Water and ask for reimbursement.
2. The blockage is in your private drain
The property owner pays. That covers most blockages: wipes, fat, roots and broken pipes anywhere between your fixtures and the first inspection opening. Our blocked drain and sewer clearing page explains how we find and clear them.
3. You rent the property
Consumer Affairs Victoria says the rental provider must organise and pay for all repairs that aren’t the renter’s fault. A blocked or broken toilet system is on the legal list of urgent repairs, along with flooding, a burst water service and any essential water service that isn’t working – and urgent repairs must be done immediately.
- Contact the rental provider or agent straight away, using the emergency number you were given when you moved in, and confirm the request in writing.
- If they don’t respond, you can organise and pay for an urgent repair yourself, up to a cost limit set by law (Consumer Affairs Victoria’s repairs page states it), and the rental provider must repay you within 7 days.
- If you caused the damage, the rental provider can give you a repair notice and ask you to cover reasonable costs.
- You must keep paying rent while waiting for a repair.
Landlords and property managers: our rental minimum standards plumbing checklist covers the rest of your plumbing obligations.
What about tree roots?
Barwon Water lists tree roots as a common cause of sewer blockages, alongside wet wipes, nappies and sanitary items, and fat, oil and grease. Who pays for roots follows the same rule as any other blockage: it depends on which section of pipe they’re in. Barwon Water’s Charter also says owners must remove trees at its request.
Roots usually come back after clearing. A drain camera inspection shows where they’re getting in and whether the pipe is damaged – just remember that Barwon Water doesn’t pay for CCTV used to locate a blockage unless it asked for it.
Sewer vs stormwater: two different systems
The sewer takes waste from toilets, showers, sinks and laundries to Barwon Water. Stormwater takes rain from your roof, downpipes and paved areas to the council’s drains. The City of Greater Geelong says owners are responsible for their own stormwater system up to and including the legal point of discharge – often the kerb – while the City maintains the larger council pits and pipes. Blocked downpipes and yard pits are covered on our stormwater drains page.
What to do right now
- Stop using water: don’t flush, shower or run the washing machine.
- Check the inspection shaft or overflow relief gully outside.
- If it overflows with nothing running, call Barwon Water on 1300 656 007.
- If it only overflows when you use water, call a plumber.
- Renters: call your agent or rental provider first, then put it in writing.
- Keep every invoice and receipt, and don’t pour chemical drain cleaner into a blocked sewer.
If you call us on 0447 134 432, we’ll find where the blockage is before we clear it. If it turns out to be in Barwon Water’s section, Barwon Water has to be told and asked for an approval number before the clearing work goes ahead, or it won’t cover the cost.
Frequently asked questions
Who do I call first for a blocked sewer, Barwon Water or a plumber?
Check the inspection shaft or overflow gully outside first. If it’s overflowing when nothing inside is running, call Barwon Water on 1300 656 007. If it only overflows when you use water, the blockage is likely in your own pipes, so call a plumber. Barwon Water also asks owners with repeat blockages to call it first.
Does Barwon Water pay for my plumber?
Only if the blockage is in Barwon Water’s section of the sewer and Barwon Water has confirmed it. Your plumber must refer it and get an approval number, and Barwon Water limits what it repays to reasonable costs. It doesn’t pay for work on your private drains.
Does my landlord have to pay for a blocked sewer?
Yes, unless you caused the damage. Consumer Affairs Victoria says rental providers must organise and pay for repairs that aren’t the renter’s fault, and a blocked or broken toilet system is an urgent repair that must be done immediately. Contact your agent straight away and confirm it in writing.
What is an overflow relief gully?
An overflow relief gully is the vertical pipe with an open vent near your house, usually close to the inspection shaft. If the sewer blocks, sewage spills out of the gully in the yard instead of coming up through your toilet or shower. Sewage coming out of it means the sewer is blocked.
Is a blocked sewer an emergency?
Yes, if sewage is overflowing inside or out. Stop using water and keep people and pets away from it. Call Barwon Water if it overflows with nothing running inside, or a 24/7 plumber if it only happens when you use water. For emergencies, we’ll give you an honest arrival time when you call.
Sources
The official pages this guide is based on, checked on 16 October 2026:
