Thread: Sewerage and Stormwater Pipes - ACT

Ok fellas, after spending an afternoon digging holes in my back yard, I've found a pipe system but don't know if it is sewerage or stormwater.

I dug a hole where the plans indicated the stormwater should be; found a pipe. Then I check the drainage plans and the angle of the pipe run indicates is could be sewerage.

The pipe I found appears to be concrete.

What is the difference between a stormwater pipe and a sewerage pipe in a house built in Canberra in 1972? Is the sewerage a terracotta style pipe ?

cheers

to be 100% certain you need to get a 'sewer plan' from whatever relevant authority provides it in ACT.

in VIC its actually (some select) Reece plumbing that provides it - but its the PIC (plumbing industry commission) that are providing it.

you'd normally find sewerage a LOT further down than stormwater.

Thanks pres

We discussed the issue of depth...with my friend ( a girl) suggestion sewerage would be deeper than stormwater.

I have the original drainage plans from 72. But interpreting is a tad difficult. The pipe I've found is down 600mm or so.

Regards

3 ways, and really old plumbers can comment here:
1. Stormwater - in my experience - is normally laid without mortar in Sydney when relatively horizontal. So no mortar would suggest stormwater; mortar may be inconclusive;
2. Send a whole lotta water down the stormwater and stick your ear to your terracotta ... maybe it'll work if your hearing is better than mine;
3. Get a piece of 100mm PVC and a couple of rubber boots and whack the terracotta with a hammer. You'll know soon enough which it is without flushing!

To quote one Dirty Harry, that expert in plumbing ... "D'ya feel lucky punk?"

ACT it would be stormwater most likely as it is only 600mm down and concrete pipe (clay or terracotta for sewer in 1972 and PVC as it came in) and usually, but not always, deeper (site dependent). If you dig along a little in either direction and find a join you will find that it is just a lip and has no collar and no rubber ring - the absence of which mean stormwater. And the concrete stormwater pipes were often only 2ft (~600mm) long). Although there were some concrete stormwater pipes with collars - but not with full seals -usually just mortar.

It was not uncommon for the stormwater to run in the same general direction and almost on top of the sewer if the mains connection for each were in the same general area - often one side of fence has a stormwater easement and the other a sewer easement. Depending on the layout the lines could cross over.

You can run some water into a downpipe that you think would connect to that pipe you have exposed - it should be easy to hear the water flowing.

Cheers Gents

It is now 1:10 am on sunday Morning....after cooking a great dinner and regaling a friend with pipe stories, we went back out and started to go through a confirmatory dig....yes took about an hour and a half, but what a hoot.

Now, to all the nay-sayers, which I am one, my sister-in-law reckoned she could divine the pipes...well...guess what, she bloody well did!

I am not joking but her divining was no more than a couple of inches off the mark! She has no plumbing knowledge, did not look at any plans and put me a few inches off the run near the back of the house.

There was much merryment and piss pulling, but when I sunk a hole in with the auger, based on her divining, I caught the side of the junction for the stormwater.

Midnight digging is spooky!

Treat this post for what it is worth...a couple of bottle of vino, more than a six pack of Coopers Pale, and a hoot of a night with a torch, auger, crowbar, shovel and friends...oh yeah and @@@@@ load of holes in my back yard!

Good night lads....I'm about to kip!

Originally Posted by DNL

Now, to all the nay-sayers, which I am one, my sister-in-law reckoned she could divine the pipes...well...guess what, she bloody well did!

Too bloody right. I was a sceptic once as well, until I too had a go.

If you can divine, proving it is worth a million dollars - just put in an application for the million dollar challenge

http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

If you can divine, proving it is worth a million dollars - just put in an application for the million dollar challenge

Challenge Info