Drainage and stormwater
Stormwater drains
Over 10,000 drainage pits connect into our stormwater drains. When it rains, the stormwater travels along gutters and down drains and flows directly into Port Phillip Bay and beaches. It’s important to keep our streets and drains clean to reduce water pollution, and to prevent pipe blockages and flooding.
Who does what?
Council is responsible for inspecting and maintaining these stormwater systems. This includes kerb and channel, pits and drains.
Melbourne Water (along with Council) is responsible for managing the stormwater drainage systems.
South East Water is responsible for all water mains and sewerage.
VicRoads is responsible for maintaining stormwater drains on roads they own. See a map here.
Spotted a broken pit lid or drain cover?
First, take a look at the lid and see who it belongs to. From there you can report it to the appropriate utility company or service authority. Here are some examples of pit lids and drains, and information on how to contact the relevant organisation.
Send us a message on My Port Phillip or give our friendly ASSIST team a call on 03 9209 6777.
Stormwater management
Raingardens
We're working to improve the quality of stormwater through the use of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), which removes nutrients, solids and litter from stormwater before they enters the stormwater system.
WSUD is incorporated into the stormwater system at 238 locations throughout our City, including the rain gardens at Fitzroy Street in St Kilda, Coventry Street in South Melbourne and Carlisle Street in St Kilda East.
Rain gardens resemble nature strips, but are carefully designed and constructed to capture and filter stormwater collected from adjacent roads.
Raingarden in Park Road, Middle Park
Stormwater harvesting systems
Stormwater harvesting systems collect, clean and store stormwater for reuse, generally for irrigation. Using stormwater from our drains means we can save precious drinking water. These systems also reduce the flow of water and pollutants entering our waterways and the bay.
The Council uses stormwater for the irrigation of our parks with two stormwater harvesting schemes: the Elsternwick Park Stormwater Harvesting Scheme (a partnership with the Bayside City Council), and the Alma Park Stormwater Harvesting Scheme. These two schemes can deliver up to 48 million litres of harvested stormwater combined, significantly reducing the Council's mains water usage and providing resilience in times of drought. They also cleanse and collect stormwater, contributing to the protection of the water quality of the Bay.
Litter Traps
We've installed litter and gross pollutant traps at 19 locations throughout the municipality along drains connected to the Bay. These can capture most forms of litter, including something as small as a cigarette butt. Up to 100 tonnes of litter is trapped each year - the equivalent of 18 full garbage truck loads of waste.
Drains on private property and legal points of discharge
Your property might connect to a Council drain, kerb or channel. This connection point is a drainage access point, or a Legal Point of Discharge. As a property owner, you're responsible for drains on your property. Council does not repair, unblock or clear private stormwater drains. Click here for more information.
Tree roots
Tree roots are opportunistic and move through the soil profile where conditions are conducive to growth. Roots have no means of sensing water within pipes and actively seeking it. If there is a leak in the pipe, roots may exploit and exacerbate the opening – sometimes causing pipe blockages. Council highly recommends property owners ensure their drains are properly maintained to avoid damage.
Relining or replacing drains is an effective method of avoiding the ongoing costs of having drains cleared regularly.
Following completion of drainage works, a property owner may make a claim for compensation from Council if they believe Council is at fault.
Private stormwater drains (Legal Point of Discharge) are the responsibility of the property owner to repair, maintain or replace. We do not repair, unblock or clear private stormwater drains.
Flood preparedness
For more information on how to prepare for floods, see our Extreme weather - Floods page.