Common stormwater issues faced in Melbourne

Melbourne weather is unpredictable. One week it’s dry, the next you’re copping 50mm overnight. If your stormwater drainage can’t keep up, that water has to go somewhere — and usually it ends up pooling in your backyard, seeping under your slab, or flooding your garage.

At Drainpro, we deal with stormwater problems every week. We’ve been doing it for over 20 years, and the same issues come up again and again.

Signs your home needs stormwater drainage work

If you’re seeing any of these around your property, your stormwater system is struggling:

• Water pooling in the yard after rain, especially if it sits there for hours or days
• Slow-draining water near downpipes or in garden beds, which usually means a blocked pipe underground
• Stormwater drains overflowing or leaking at joins

These things don’t fix themselves. Water pooling near your house leads to foundation movement, erosion around paths and fences, and mould in subfloor areas. The longer you leave it, the more expensive it gets.

If you’re noticing any of these, give us a call. We can track down exactly where the problem is and tell you what it’ll take to sort it out.

Should you repair or replace your stormwater drainage?

It depends on what’s actually wrong. We always start with a CCTV drain inspection so we can see inside the pipes and work out what we’re dealing with.

Sometimes it’s a straightforward fix — a cracked join, a section clogged with sediment, or a root intrusion that we can clear with hydro jetting. In those cases, a targeted repair is all you need.

But if the pipes are old terracotta that’s crumbling, or the whole system has collapsed in sections, patching it up is just throwing money away. A full drain replacement gives you a system that actually works and won’t need attention again for decades.

We’ll always recommend the option that makes the most sense for your situation — we’re not going to push a full replacement if a repair will do the job.

Do you need a new stormwater drainage system?

Most Melbourne homes have some kind of stormwater system already, but that doesn’t mean it’s up to the job. Here are the situations where we commonly see homeowners needing a new or upgraded system.

Older homes with outdated drainage. A lot of Melbourne’s older suburbs still have the original clay or concrete stormwater pipes from when the house was built. These deteriorate over time, crack, collapse, and block up. If your house was built before the 1980s and the drains haven’t been touched, there’s a good chance they need work.

Renovations or extensions. If you’ve added a new room, concreted the driveway, or paved the backyard, you’ve changed where water flows. More hard surfaces means more runoff, and the existing drainage might not cope. We see this all the time — someone does a great reno but doesn’t think about stormwater until the first big rain.

Recurring flooding or pooling. If your yard floods every time it rains heavily, the current system isn’t adequate. This is especially common on low-lying blocks or properties with heavy clay soil that doesn’t absorb water well.

Council compliance. New builds and major renovations need to meet current stormwater management regulations. If you’re going through a permit process, you may need to install or upgrade your drainage to comply.

Storm damage. A big storm can overwhelm old pipes and cause sections to collapse. If your drains have copped a hiding, it might be time for a higher-capacity system.

Getting ahead of problems. Some homeowners prefer to upgrade their drainage before things go wrong. If you know your pipes are old or your block has drainage challenges, sorting it out now saves you from emergency callouts later.

How to maintain your stormwater drainage system

A bit of regular maintenance goes a long way. Most of what you can do yourself is pretty simple:

• Clear leaves, dirt, and debris from around your stormwater grates and pits, especially in autumn. Blocked grates are the number one cause of surface flooding we see.
• Fit strainers or leaf guards to your grates if you’ve got overhanging trees. Stops the bulk of debris before it gets into the pipes.
• Keep an eye out for cracks, damp patches, or any spots where water is surfacing where it shouldn’t be. Catching a small leak early means a cheap repair instead of an expensive dig-up.
• Book a professional inspection every couple of years. We use CCTV cameras to check the full length of your pipes for root intrusion, sediment buildup, cracks, and joint failures — things you’d never spot from the surface.

Why get a professional to handle your stormwater drainage

DIY works for keeping grates clear, but when it comes to the actual pipe network underground, you need someone who knows what they’re looking at.

A properly installed stormwater system will last 50+ years without issues. We use quality materials and we know Melbourne’s soil conditions, water table levels, and council requirements inside out. That means the job gets done right the first time.

Good drainage also protects your property’s value. Buyers notice water staining on fences, eroded garden beds, and damp subfloors — and they’ll either walk away or knock the price down.

Get your stormwater sorted

If you’re dealing with stormwater problems — or you want to make sure your system is in good shape before the next big rain — we can help.

We offer stormwater drain cleaning, drain repair, drain replacement, pipe relining, and full new installations. Call us on 1300 303 247 or fill out our contact form and we’ll get back to you.