Repair responsibilities
Each property that receives a service from Yarra Valley Water has a connection to the water and sewer mains.
Water main responsibilities
The connection comprises the ‘main to meter pipe’, the stop tap, the water meter and the internal pipes.
The meter and stop tap are owned by Yarra Valley Water. Although the ‘main to meter pipe’ is not the property of Yarra Valley Water, it is our responsibility to repair it. In most cases, we will repair everything on the road side of the meter.
The connection from the meter to the house is the property owners' responsibility if there is a water leak.
Who is responsible for repairs?
- As the main to meter pipe, stop tap and water meter are maintained by Yarra Valley Water, if the leak is at or beyond the connection point to the water main, we are responsible.
- All plumbing from the meter to the house are internal pipes of the property and are owned and maintained by the property owner. So, if the leak or burst is in a home's internal pipes, the property owner is responsible and will need to contact a local plumber.
- Where a property has a private extension between the stop tap and meter, all private extensions are maintained by the property owner.
- If the location of the leak is unclear, Yarra Valley Water will make an assessment to determine who is responsible
What if I call a plumber and the leak is in Yarra Valley Water’s pipes?
If the plumber invoices you for the time spent, we will reimburse the reasonable costs incurred to make the diagnosis.
Download the Water Reimbursement Claim form
Private water mains
A private water main consists of the direct connection to the Melbourne Water asset, the service pipe, and a separate branch connecting each property. Owners are responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement of the private water main and any works required to connect the property to the private water main.
Property owners own all of the installation, including the direct connection, private main (trunk service) and associated fittings, except the meter. Yarra Valley Water is responsible for maintaining the meter on each connected property, known as a 'property meter'.
Yarra Valley Water sometimes becomes aware of bursts and leaks on private water mains. This is often the result of private mains being poorly maintained. If the burst or leak is causing a hazard, we may need to temporarily turn off the supply to the private main. When the private main supply is turned off, we will issue a notice to the owners of the private main requiring that they repair the main. If repairs are not completed in accordance with the notice’s requirements, then Yarra Valley Water will complete the repairs and issue the owners with a bill for the works.
If a private main bursts or leaks, the owners will need to engage and pay for a plumber to repair the main. If you are unsure if your private main is shared with other properties, Yarra Valley Water may be able to assist in identifying the other connected properties. This is achieved by shutting off the private main at the ferrule to determine which customers are impacted.
Sewer main responsibilities
Each property that receives a sewer service from Yarra Valley Water has a connection to the sewer main.
The connection to the property comprises of a sewer connection point and house connection drain. The sewer connection point and house connection drain is connected by a fitting known as an Inspection Opening (which is sometimes referred to as a 27A). This Inspection Opening may be at surface level or below ground.
Yarra Valley Water’s responsibility of the sewer connection point is dependent on the location of the sewer main and the first Inspection Opening (I.O), which may be above or below ground. Yarra Valley Water and property owner responsibilities for the sewer connection points are outlined below.
Stand-alone residence (sewer main outside the property)
Stand-alone residence (sewer main inside the property)
Combined private plumbing (units, neighbouring properties)
Overflow relief gully, gully vents and gully traps
The overflow relief gully, vent and trap prevents sewage spilling inside your house and is usually located just outside the rear or side wall of the dwelling.
It is the property owner's responsibility to ensure the overflow relief gully, vents and traps are working correctly as a faulty overflow relief gully may impact on the value of any insurance payouts following a sewer spill.
Inspection shaft or boundary trap
If an inspection shaft or boundary trap was originally constructed on the property, the plumbing code states this point should remain at surface level at all times for easy and quick inspection and cleaning of the sewer pipes.
If you call us to clear a blockage and the trap or shaft is buried, the crew will ask you to raise the point as they cannot clear the blockage without it being at surface level. At this time, it is the responsibility of the property owner to engage a local plumber to complete the works. We will then return once the shaft or trap has been raised to surface.
Yarra Valley Water is not responsible for the maintenance of internal pipes and will not provide a reimbursement for internal pipe repairs.