Plumber White Gum Valley

White Gum Valley WA 6162, City of Fremantle. About 18 km south-west of the Perth CBD.

White Gum Valley lies about eighteen kilometres south-west of the Perth CBD in the City of Fremantle, in the hollow behind the main limestone ridge east of the port, bounded by South, Carrington, Stevens and Edmund Streets. Its housing is largely early to mid last century. For a plumber the topography is the story: water from the surrounding higher ground collects here, and limestone sits under the slopes above.

• A valley that collects what falls above itStormwater running off the ridge ends up on the low ground here, so a soak well at the bottom of the valley is dealing with far more than the rain that fell on that roof. Drainage on those blocks has to be sized for what actually arrives.
• Limestone on the slopesExcavation on the higher parts of the suburb strikes limestone rather than sand, while the valley floor digs more easily. The same trench costs differently at the two ends of a White Gum Valley street, which is why we assess the block first.
• Older housing on original drainageMuch of the housing here is old enough to be running its first sewer line under a mature garden. Roots into those earthenware joints are the common cause of the blockages we clear, and clearing alone is a holding measure.
• Compact lots with services close togetherThe lots here are modest and the water and sewer connections sit close to boundaries. On a tight block, locating before excavating is the difference between one neat repair and several exploratory holes.