Not sure if it’s your problem, the council’s, or the Water Corporation’s? This guide walks you through exactly who to call, when, and why, so you can stop the water and protect your property.
Who to Call When You Have a Blocked Stormwater Drain
If your stormwater drain is blocked on private property, the right person to call is a licensed plumber who specialises in drainage and uses CCTV technology. If the blockage is in a street gutter or public drain, that’s your local council’s responsibility. If you suspect sewage is mixed in with the water, contact the Water Corporation. And if stormwater is actively threatening to flood your home right now, treat it as an emergency and get a 24/7 plumber on the job within the hour.
At Proud Plumbing & Gas, we deal with blocked stormwater drains across Perth every single week. This guide walks you through exactly who to call, when, and why, so you can stop the water, protect your property, and avoid paying for work that isn’t yours to pay for.
What a Blocked Stormwater Drain Actually Looks Like
Stormwater drains are the network of pipes, pits, and soak wells that carry rainwater away from your roof, paving, and yard. When they block up, the signs are usually obvious once you know what to look for.
Water pooling around downpipes, soak wells, or stormwater grates after rain is the most common giveaway. You might also notice gutters overflowing even though the gutters themselves are clean, or gurgling sounds coming from outdoor drains. In more serious cases, water starts creeping towards the house or under paving, and you might spot green patches or small sinkholes in the lawn near drain lines where water has been sitting underground.
The important thing to understand is that stormwater blockages rarely clear themselves. Leaves, silt, and tree roots build up and harden over time, and the next heavy downpour is usually when things go from a minor annoyance to an expensive problem.
Who to Call for a Blocked Stormwater Drain
Four different parties can be responsible for drainage in Perth, depending on where the blockage sits. Getting this right upfront saves you time, money, and frustration.
Private Property: Call a Licensed Plumber
Anything on your side of the property boundary is your responsibility. That includes your downpipes, stormwater pipes, soak wells, drainage pits, and all the pipes running from them to the street connection. A licensed plumber who specialises in stormwater drain clearing is the right call here. They can locate the blockage with a camera, clear it with a jetter, and tell you whether the pipe itself has collapsed or cracked and needs repair.
This covers the vast majority of blocked stormwater drain calls in Perth. Nine times out of ten, the problem is on the property, not in the street.
Street Gutters and Public Drains: Call Your Local Council
If water is banking up in the street gutter, around a public stormwater grate, or in a council-owned drain, that’s a council issue. In Perth, each local government area handles its own stormwater infrastructure. The City of Cockburn, City of Stirling, City of Melville, City of Canning, and every other council all have their own drainage teams. Look up your council online and report the issue through their customer service line or an online form.
It’s worth noting that even when you suspect it might be a council problem, getting a plumber out first is often the fastest way to confirm exactly where the blockage sits. If the blockage turns out to be on the council’s side, a good plumber will tell you straight and point you in the right direction.
Sewage Overflows: Call the Water Corporation
Stormwater and sewage run in completely separate pipe networks, but homeowners mix them up constantly. If the water coming up smells foul, looks grey or black, or has visible waste in it, stop treating it as a stormwater problem. Call the Water Corporation on 13 13 75. They handle sewer main blockages across Western Australia, and this is their responsibility to fix.
Property Flooding Right Now: Call an Emergency Plumber
If stormwater is about to enter your house, garage, or business, do not wait for a convenient appointment time. Get a 24/7 emergency plumber on the phone straight away. Every minute of standing water adds to your damage bill and makes your insurance claim harder to manage. At Proud Plumbing & Gas, we run a 24-hour emergency line for exactly this reason. Stormwater flooding can cause structural damage, electrical hazards, and mould growth that costs thousands more than the blockage itself.
Why a Plumber is Almost Always the Right First Call
Even when the council ends up being responsible, a licensed plumber is the fastest way to prove where the blockage actually sits. More importantly, a specialist brings gear and knowledge that a handyman or a DIY attempt simply can’t match.
CCTV Cameras Find the Real Problem
Stormwater pipes are buried. You cannot fix what you cannot see. A CCTV drain inspection involves running a waterproof camera through the line and watching live as it moves through the pipe. This tells us three things fast: where the blockage is, what’s causing it (roots, silt, collapsed pipe, or debris), and how deep it sits. That turns a guess into a plan, and it means you only pay for the work that actually needs doing.
CCTV footage is also valuable if you need to make an insurance claim or prove to the council that the problem is on their side of the boundary.
High-Pressure Water Jetters Clear the Blockage
Once we know what we’re dealing with, a high-pressure water jetter cuts through roots, silt, and built-up debris without damaging the pipe. It’s quicker and far gentler on old Perth stormwater lines than mechanical cutting or digging. In most cases, the line is cleared on the same day we arrive, and we can show you the before-and-after camera footage so you know the job is done properly.
Stormwater Backing Up? Get It Sorted Fast
Every minute of standing water adds to the damage bill. We’ll have a specialist out with a CCTV camera and jetter to diagnose and clear it in the same visit.
Common Causes of Blocked Stormwater Drains in Perth
Perth conditions are particularly tough on stormwater systems. The combination of hot dry summers, sandy soil, and short intense rain events means the same culprits show up over and over again.
Tree roots are the single biggest cause we see. Species like figs, gums, and liquidambars send aggressive root systems towards any source of moisture, and they’ll work their way through pipe joints and cracks over time. Once inside, they catch debris and create a blockage that grows with every rain event.
Leaves and garden debris washed into pit grates are another major contributor, especially in autumn. Sand and silt build up in soak wells gradually over years until the well can no longer absorb water at the rate it needs to. Older properties often have pipes that have cracked or collapsed from age, ground movement, or tree root pressure. And we regularly see concrete, tile, or renovation debris that’s been washed into the system during building work, sometimes sitting there for years before it causes a problem.
How to Prevent Blocked Stormwater Drains
You cannot stop every blockage, but you can cut the odds dramatically with a few consistent habits.
Installing gutter guards is one of the best investments you can make. They keep leaves out of your downpipes and dramatically reduce the amount of debris that makes it into your stormwater system. Clean your gutters and downpipes at least twice a year, ideally before winter when Perth’s rain picks up.
Trim back trees with aggressive root systems away from your drain lines. If you’re not sure where your stormwater pipes run, a CCTV inspection will map them out for you. Keep drain pit grates clear of garden mulch and lawn clippings, especially after mowing.
Book regular inspections for properties over 20 years old. A CCTV drain inspection every few years is well worth the cost. It picks up root intrusion, pipe deterioration, and silt buildup before they turn into full blockages. Flushing soak wells with a jetter before they fail is always cheaper than dealing with the flooding that comes when they stop working altogether.
Why Perth Homeowners Call Proud Plumbing & Gas
We’re a Perth-based team of licensed plumbers and blocked drain specialists. Stormwater is one of our core services, not a side job we fit in between tap repairs.
When you call us for a blocked stormwater drain during business hours, you get a $0 call-out fee, which means you’re not paying before we’ve even looked at the problem. We’re available 24/7, including weekends and public holidays. After we’ve diagnosed the blockage with our CCTV camera, we give you upfront, detailed pricing with the full scope of work explained before anything starts. Our trucks carry both CCTV equipment and high-pressure jetters, so diagnosis and clearing happen in the same visit. We don’t just clear the immediate blockage, we talk you through long-term solutions and maintenance plans so the same problem doesn’t come back six months later.
We service the full Perth metro area, from Joondalup down to Rockingham and everywhere in between.
Book a Stormwater Drain Plumber in Perth Today
If your stormwater is backing up, pooling, or threatening the house, don’t wait for the next downpour to find out how bad it really is. Get a licensed plumber on site with a CCTV camera and a jetter, and deal with it properly the first time.
Call Proud Plumbing & Gas on (08) 6185 3008 for 24/7 blocked stormwater drain services across Perth, with a $0 call-out fee in regular business hours and upfront pricing. We’ll have a specialist out to your property fast, and we’ll show you exactly what’s going on in your pipes before we quote a cent.
