Skip to main content
Stormwater drains and the legal point of discharge

Yarra City Council owns and operates an extensive network of drainage and stormwater assets.

To report damage or a hazard, please call us immediately on 9205 5555.

We own and operate an extensive network of drainage and stormwater assets.

These assets protect infrastructure and public and private properties from flooding and ensure clean and safe discharge into our waterways.

The network includes:

  • pits
  • pipes
  • tanks
  • overland flow paths
  • roadways
  • public open space
  • retarding basins.

Stormwater assets are owned by Council, Melbourne Water, VicRoads and other infrastructure managers. The owner of each drain is responsible for its ongoing management and maintenance.

You can report a blocked or flooded stormwater drain online.

 

stormwater drains diagram

Responsibility for stormwater assets

Council responsibilities

  • Inspecting our stormwater drainage assets
  • Cleaning and maintaining our stormwater drainage assets
  • Monitoring drainage flow and pipe capacity.

Property owners' responsibilities

  • Managing stormwater within your property boundary
  • Maintaining all stormwater elements within your property boundary
  • Connections between your internal drainage system and the drainage network (including the point of connection located within a street, laneway, public land or easement)

You must ensure that:

  • stormwater is collected within your property and discharged to the network through the nominated legal point of discharge
  • you resolve any issues with flooding or overland water flow with other affected property owners
  • you apply for legal point of discharge (LPD) before any works start (if you determine that new discharge outlets are required)
  • any household drainage is constructed and maintained to Council standards.

We recommend that you use a licensed plumber for internal drainage issues.

Application guideline

Greater Western Water is responsible for the potable water networks (main water supply/water mains) and the sewerage drain networks in Yarra.

You can ask Greater Western Water to inspect water coming up from under the road (generally a burst water main).

Greater Western Water is responsible for repairing damaged pipes and inspecting sewer-like odour from drains.

Please call Greater Western Water on 13 44 99.

A legal point of discharge is a specific point nominated by us which runs alongside your private property. The stormwater runoff from your property is drained and discharged to one of our managed drainage assets (above surface or underground).

Underground municipal and kerbside drains are our responsibility. However, the stormwater outlet (drains, underground pipes beneath the footpath) from your property to the legal point of discharge is a private asset. You are responsible for maintaining and managing this.

In some cases, you may need to construct a new drain to connect to our underground drains.

We only accept discharges to our nominated legal point of discharge, via gravity, to protect the integrity of our drainage infrastructure.

If building works include a stormwater drainage system, you must obtain a report and consent for a building permit.

You also need report and consent if one of these apply:

  • The existing stormwater drainage system of your property will be altered
  • There is an impact on the effectiveness of the existing stormwater drainage system (this could mean an increase in volume or flow rate of stormwater).

This approach applies to new single dwellings, as well as additions, extensions or outbuildings.

Step 1: know the requirements

For this type of development, the only options for the legal point of discharge are:

  • connecting directly to the existing internal drainage system, subject to approval
  • creating a second connection to an above ground discharge location, i.e. kerb or laneway surface.
  • a discharge restriction of 10 L/s and connection approved
  • discharge outlets that sit flush within your private boundary at a height of no more than 150mm from surface level
  • we only accept discharge via gravity to the legal point of discharge

Please refer to Yarra Standard Drawings 103 [ PDF, 42.55 KB] and Yarra Standard Drawings 104 [ PDF, 43.71 KB] for our standards of kerb connections.

Step 2: prepare your documentation

You are required to prepare and submit design plans based on this information for your application. This includes lodging all of the following documents:

  • copy of existing title plan
  • dimensioned site plan- must show total area of property lot in square metres
  • copy of feature/level survey plan
  • internal civil stormwater plans, including:
  • water sustainable urban design (WSUD) systems (rainwater tanks)
  • downpipes, pits and pump-well
  • ground floor plans showing connection to legal point of discharge

Additionally, you must lodge the following if your proposal includes one of the following:

  • copy of Planning Permit - if you are applying for building works lodged after obtaining a Planning Permit
  • copy of Endorsed Drawings from Town Planning (if applicable)
  • copy of Endorsed STORM rating report (if applicable)
  • Melbourne Water Flood Level advice (if applicable)
  • Build Over Easement Permission - if you are seeking approval to build over easement

Geotech report with groundwater table data and basement plan details - if your property has or will have a basement

Step 3: lodge your application

Please allow 10-15 business days to receive a response. This timeframe may be longer if we don't receive all required documentation.

Other types of properties include:

  • multi unit
  • industrial
  • commercial
  • mixed use

Step 1: know the requirements

There is a two-step process:

  1. Pre-application process - after receiving the mandatory documents, we will advise the drainage requirements ent through a further information request letter, including a list of documentation required for assessment.
  2. Legal point of discharge assessment - the developer/designer must submit all the details requested by us for a final detailed design assessment.

For the purposes of pre-application, applicants must have applied for a planning permit or have preliminary site design of the proposed development.

Step 2: prepare your documentation

All applications must be lodged with the following information:

  • copy of title plan
  • dimensioned site plan- must show total area of property lot in square metres
  • copy of detailed feature / level survey plan showing all existing utilities and services including and around the subject site
  • plan view of existing property layout
  • total hard surface area (m2)
  • total soft surface area (m2)
  • plan view of proposed property layout
  • total hard surface area (m2)
  • total soft surface area (m2)

Additionally, please provide the following if the scope of your development is triggered by the below:

  • copy of Planning Permit (if applicable)
  • Melbourne Water Flood Level Advice - if subject site is within a flood overlay
  • Build Over Easement Permission (if applicable)
  • geotech report with groundwater table data and basement plan details - if basements are part of the property

Step 3: lodge your application

Your application will take 10 - 15 business days from the day we receive all required documentation.

Frequently asked questions

Please visit the Yarra standard drawings page

CCTV footage of the drainage assets may be requested for larger building sites.

If cleaning is required this will be paid for and carried out by Yarra City Council. Post works footage is required to confirm drains have been protected during the works.

You will be required to submit CCTV footage to the following standard:

  • survey video captured using a mainline tractor unit (not a pushrod camera system)
  • coding of the pipes to meet WSA 05-2013 Conduit Inspection Reporting Code of Australia Version 3.1 standard using Wincan coding software
  • a map outlining any existing and any new drainage found

Yarra City Council does not have information of the exact location and depth of drains and pits.

A stormwater asset map can be provided upon request to show indicative details.

The report and consent are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. Approved plans are valid and further extended by 18 months from the date of issue.

You need to apply for a legal point of discharge if there are any design changes proposed to the stormwater catchment design within the title boundary.

This includes modifications of the roofline, gutters, downpipes, pits, pipes, detention tanks, rain gardens.