While the community stormwater drains and connections are the responsibility of your local authorities, everything else is up to you – and that includes your own stormwater drains, gutters, downpipes, roof plumbing, pits and more. But do downpipes have to be connected to stormwater? It’s a question we’re asked a lot – so let’s dive in:
You may not give your property’s stormwater drainage system a lot of thought, but if you neglect it for too long and then the skies open with a fury, you’re not only risking your own property, belongings and foundations. You’re also endangering your neighbours’ property, the wider community and environment, and risk the wrath of your local authorities. But do your responsibilities extend to mandatorily connecting downpipes to stormwater? Let’s explore.
Do Downpipes Have To Be Connected To Stormwater?
Whether you’re in Brisbane or beyond, you won’t find a council across Queensland that doesn’t require property owners to:
- Maintain your own stormwater drains, pipes, stormwater pits, gutters & downpipes
- Keep all elements of your approved stormwater system in good working order
- Ensure runoff is effectively managed or diverted into community stormwater systems or inter-allotment infrastructure.
But what about those downpipes? We all know what they are: although they can be horizontal, we’re talking mainly about those vertical stormwater pipes that deliver water from your roof gutters to their downward destination. Now, obviously, you don’t want the stormwater to simply run out of the downpipes simply to pool, flood or run uncontrolled towards your foundations or the neighbours’ property. But do downpipes have to be connected to stormwater drains as a mandatory measure?
Before answering that, let’s take a look at the two most popular kinds of downpipe-to-stormwater connections:
Find out more here:
https://drainmastersplumbing.com.au/plumbing-blog/connecting-downpipes-t...
