Blocked Drains
A single basin, shower or gully draining slowly. The culprit is usually roots in an old branch, grease behind a shop row, or an offset under a walk-up. See blocked drains.
Drainage New Farm
Drainage work across New Farm is what New Farm Plumbing Co does between emergencies: blocked drains, sewer and stormwater problems, plus camera inspections underneath it all. The pipes here were laid generations before anyone renovated the buildings above them. For the rest of what we do, start at the New Farm home page.
If we're late, $100 comes off your bill
- $0 Call-Out FeesNo extra charge for nights, weekends or public holidays
- Available 24/77 days a week, and same-day where we can
- Lifetime Labour WarrantyBacked by our Fix-It-or-It's-Free guarantee (T&Cs apply)
- Licensed and InsuredEvery job done by a licensed plumber. QBCC No: 15024607
Where the Water Goes Wrong
Pair your symptom with the correct page and you'll receive targeted advice rather than generic drain talk:
- One sink, shower or toilet running slow while the rest behave: blocked drains.
- Every drain in the flat, or the whole block, stopping together: blocked sewer.
- Water pooling in the yard, the garage or under the house after rain: blocked stormwater.
- The same drain blocking a third or fourth time, and nobody knows why: CCTV drain inspections.
- Sewage rising in a ground-floor unit right now: that's an emergency, so go to emergency plumbing and call (07) 3067 4272.
Drains Older Than Most of the Buildings
Street drainage first went through parts of this peninsula back in the late 1880s, and the sewer reached the suburb during the 1930s. The flats and houses built on top have been renovated repeatedly since, but the pipes underneath mostly haven't been touched.
Earthenware with mortar joints
On the older laterals, the clay sections were sealed at each junction using mortar, and a hundred years of shifting soil has gradually loosened those seals, opening gaps that snag whatever passes through.
Roots that know where the gaps are
The big verge trees south of Brunswick Street send fine roots straight into every open joint, which is why a drain that was fine last winter blocks three times by autumn.
Rain that never lets the ground dry out
The peninsula averages around 1,010mm of rainfall annually, so the soil around those old joints stays damp enough for roots to keep pushing in.
The Four Drainage Jobs
Blocked Sewer
Every fixture backing up together points to the shared lateral, and in a block with one line the stoppage lands on every floor at once. See blocked sewer.
Blocked Stormwater
Stormwater lines carry run-off from the ridge streets down to the low blocks, moving more paved surface than the late-1800s lines were sized for. Silted pits are the usual callout. See blocked stormwater.
CCTV Drain Inspections
When a drain keeps blocking or the cause hides, a camera through the line shows where the fault sits: roots at a joint, a cracked section, a fat bank. See CCTV drain inspections.
Need a plumber in New Farm?
$0 call-out fees, available 24/7, and same-day where we can.
How We Find Out What's Wrong
A blocked drain gets diagnosed in the order that costs you least. Clear the line first, because most blockages end there, then look inside if the drain has a history.
What the symptoms tell us
One slow fixture points to a branch line; the whole flat stopping means the shared lateral is blocked; water in the yard only after rain points to stormwater, not sewer. The pattern usually names the pipe before we open a tool bag.
What the camera adds
If the blockage returns or the clear runs slowly, a CCTV inspection shows whether you're dealing with roots that can be cut back, grease that can be flushed, or a collapsed section that needs replacing. You see what we see.
What this ground does to pipes
Alluvial river deposits along the low blocks shift and settle differently from the rock up on the ridge, so joints open unevenly and the verge trees fill the openings. A drain here rarely blocks for one simple reason, which is why we report what we find rather than assume.
Storm Season and the Low Streets
The drainage calendar on this peninsula runs November to March, when the storms arrive and the shape of the land does the rest.
The ridge sheds, the flats cop it
Rain falling on the high ground off Moray Street and off Bowen Terrace runs down toward the river, and the oldest lines carry the full load of paved surface they were never built for.
Floods leave sediment behind
Welsby Street and Alford Street went under in all three big river floods, 1974, 2011 and 2022, and silt sitting in gully traps and stormwater pits means the first decent storm after a flood is when blockages spike.
Groundwater lingers
The low blocks rest on silty river deposits, so water hangs about beneath garages and ground-floor units long after the sky clears, and a partly blocked stormwater line keeps it there.
From Your Call to Clear Pipes
- 1
Call and tell us
Ring (07) 3067 4272 and tell us what's happening in New Farm. A few quick questions up front means the right parts come on the first visit.
- 2
A flat-rate quote first
You get flat-rate pricing with no hidden fees before any work starts. Approve it and we get going.
- 3
Clear, flush and look
After removing the blockage, your plumber flushes the line, watches how it runs, and shows you the inside of the drain on camera before any repair talk begins.
- 4
Pay on the day or later
Pay by card or EFTPOS on site when the job's done, or ask us about Fix now, pay later.
Why Trust New Farm Plumbing Co With Drains
Drainage is where the suburb's age shows up most, and old pipes reward plumbers who look before they cut. That's how we approach every line on this peninsula. For taps, toilets and gas work on the same buildings, see our general plumbing page.
- $0
- Call-Out Fees
- 24/7
- Available, 7 Days
- 200+
- Five-Star Google Reviews
Zero Call-Out Fees, Any Time
There are no call-out fees for New Farm jobs, and no added charge for nights, weekends or public holidays.
Fix It or It's Free
Every repair sits under our Fix-It-or-It's-Free guarantee (T&Cs apply). If we're late, $100 comes off your bill.
Lifetime Labour Warranty
Each job is done by a licensed plumber under QBCC No: 15024607, and a lifetime labour warranty covers the labour.
Licensed and Insured
Licensed and insured, locally owned and operated, with flat-rate pricing.
Get Your Drains Flowing in New Farm
Give us a ring on (07) 3067 4272 and explain the problem. We're available 24/7, every New Farm job has zero call-out fees and flat-rate pricing, and we work under QBCC No: 15024607, with same-day when we can.
Current offers:
- $80 off a tap replacement. T&Cs apply. Mention this offer when booking.
- $60 off your first service. T&Cs apply. Mention this offer when booking.
- $99 off blocked drains. T&Cs apply. Mention this offer when booking.
- $220 cashback on hot water installs. T&Cs apply. Mention this offer when booking.
Drainage FAQs From New Farm
Call (07) 3067 4272Do I call Urban Utilities or a plumber for a blocked sewer in New Farm?
Urban Utilities owns the public sewer in the street, and the private lines past the connection point belong to the property, so we clear those and refer you if the main itself is at fault.
Why do the drains in old New Farm flat blocks keep blocking?
Most pre-war blocks here still run earthenware laterals with mortar joints, and every crack or offset snags wipes and paper, so a single shared line can stop every floor together.
Can tree roots be cleared from a drain without digging up the garden?
Usually, yes: we clear the line, flush it and inspect it, and only where the pipe has collapsed does excavation enter the conversation, which we quote for first.
What does a CCTV drain inspection actually show me?
It puts the inside of the pipe on screen, so you see the roots, the offset or the grease bank causing the trouble instead of guessing where the fault sits.
Does stormwater back up into New Farm yards after storms?
It can: rain sheds off the ridge streets to the low blocks, and after a summer storm the lowest gully traps can spill before the street mains clear.
How do I book drainage work in New Farm?
Call (07) 3067 4272, tell us the street and what the drain is doing, and we'll set a time, with $0 call-out fees and a flat-rate quote before any work starts.
