Responsibility usually rests with the owner of the blocked section. Property owners generally maintain private gutters, downpipes, pits and stormwater pipes serving their property. The relevant council or public asset owner generally maintains street drains, kerb inlets and public stormwater mains.
Private or public stormwater drain?
Private drainage: The property owner is generally responsible for blockages in the property’s private stormwater system, up to its connection with the public system.
Public drainage: Report blocked street grates, kerb inlets and public drains to the relevant local council. Some infrastructure may instead be owned or managed by Sydney Water, a transport agency or another authority.
The location of flooding does not prove where the blockage is. Water backing up onto private land may result from a downstream public blockage, while pooling near the street may originate within private drainage. Asset ownership also does not always follow the property boundary.
What if responsibility is unclear?
Ask the council to check its asset records and confirm whether it owns the affected drain. Approved drainage plans or asset maps may also help you find stormwater drains and identify the connection and asset owner.
A suitably licensed plumber can inspect the private system and document whether the blockage appears to be within it or beyond the connection point. If private drainage is blocked, follow the safe stormwater drain clearing guidance and use an appropriately licensed plumber for any regulated clearing or repair work.
When reporting a blocked street drain, provide:
- the exact address or nearest intersection
- photographs taken from a safe location
- the affected asset, such as a grate or kerb inlet
- any threat to buildings, traffic or public safety.
Do not enter pits, lift grates or work on public drainage assets. Keep away from moving floodwater and water near electrical equipment or fallen powerlines.
Call Triple Zero (000) for an immediate threat to life. For NSW flood and storm assistance, call the NSW SES on 132 500.
If the blockage appears private or its location remains unclear, contact our licensed Sydney stormwater plumbers to inspect the private drainage and help identify the appropriate next step.