Stormwater and Drainage Ferntree Gully

Water runs downhill

On a sloping block, stormwater from the street, neighbours and your own roof all heads for the lowest point, which is often the back of the house, a retaining wall or the subfloor. Good drainage carries it safely away; poor drainage leads to damp, soggy lawns, cracked paths and leaning walls.

Common problems

Downpipes overflowing because pipes are blocked with gum leaves, pits full of silt and bark, water seeping through retaining walls, damp subfloors, cracked earthenware stormwater lines and driveways that channel water into garages.

What we do

We jet and camera-check stormwater lines, repair or replace broken sections, install new pits and grated drains, and lay agricultural drains behind retaining walls and along the high side of houses. Everything connects to the legal point of discharge, which on many foothills blocks is an easement drain at the back rather than the street.

Retaining walls and subfloors

On sloping Ferntree Gully blocks, retaining walls and subfloors are where stormwater problems show up first. Water that builds up behind a wall can push it over, and water running under a house on stumps can rot timber, attract termites and cause musty smells. A slotted drain behind a retaining wall, surrounded by clean gravel and connected to the stormwater system, relieves the pressure. Under the house, we can add drains or redirect downpipes so water is carried away before it reaches the subfloor.

Legal point of discharge

Stormwater must be carried to a legal point of discharge, which is usually the council drain in the street or an easement drain at the back of the block. It cannot simply be pumped onto a neighbour's property. If you are not sure where your stormwater goes, we can trace the lines, find the connection point and explain what is needed to make it work properly.

Camera inspections

We use a camera to check stormwater lines for roots, breaks, silt and collapsed sections before deciding on a repair.

Ferntree Gully ground and pipes

Ferntree Gully's ground changes as you climb towards the ranges: clay and silty loam on the lower streets, rockier, steeper ground near Upper Ferntree Gully and The Basin. Most homes built before the 1980s were connected with earthenware sewer pipe, and on a slope every joint moves a little over the years and lets roots in. Water service lines from the meter are often long and run through rocky ground or under established gardens. Stormwater has to be carried down the block and away from the house. We use cameras, locators and pressure tests to see what is happening before we dig.

From your call to the finished job