Mains water & wastewater flooding
Call 13 13 75 immediately if you have wastewater or mains water overflowing anywhere on, or near, your property or any damage is being caused. This line is attended 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Protecting our mains water and wastewater systems
We are all responsible for the health of our water and wastewater systems and we can all take some simple steps to help keep them working properly:
Putting the wrong things down toilets and sinks can cause sewer blockages and overflows – which can sometimes cause real damage and devastation to your home, as well as to our wastewater system.
Keep your outside overflow relief gully clear. This is designed to release any wastewater away from the home in the event of a sewer blockage. Choose your trees and shrubs carefully, as they can cause problems below ground.
Download our wastewater and mains water flooding information sheet to find out more about your responsibilities.
Frequently asked questions
If you would like to claim flooding on insurance, we recommend that you contact your insurance company as soon as possible, as they will be able to advise you on the best process to follow to recover any loss or damage. We will refund any insurance excess amounts and we will also consider any uninsured losses.
- Your own insurance company will not normally need to establish liability before proceeding with your claim. We would have to establish liability which may be a lengthy process, particularly if a third party is involved.
- Most insurance companies will normally replace or settle on a new for old basis. We will work with you to obtain reasonable recompense for the damage caused.
- If your insurance company is confident that we are liable, they may choose to counter claim us at a later date.
We would always recommend a customer has the appropriate insurance for any eventuality. While we empathise with your situation, the responsibility does not default to the Water Corporation.
If you do not have insurance cover, we will work with you to obtain reasonable recompense for the damage caused and consider any other uninsured losses.
However, we will provide an initial clean-up of the area and assist you as best we can.
We will, on occasions of severe internal wastewater flooding, support a customer in finding temporary accommodation for the initial night, although in most instances your own insurance company should arrange this. It should be noted there is no legal obligation for the Water Corporation to provide this service, but in such cases we would not wish to see a customer and their family without habitable accommodation.
If you would like to lodge a complaint we encourage you to contact the Water Corporation directly in the first instance to enable a quick and effective resolution free of charge.
Alternatively, the Energy and Water Ombudsman Western Australia is an independent, free service available to all customers and can investigate and resolve disputes between customers and Water Corporation. In handling complaints, the Energy and Water Ombudsman considers what is fair and reasonable in the circumstances, taking into account good industry practice and relevant law.
You can contact the Energy and Water Ombudsman by:
- Calling (08) 9220 7588 or free call 1800 754 004.
- Emailing your complaint to energyandwater@ombudsman.wa.gov.au
- Completing the online complaint form at http://www.ombudsman.wa.gov.au/energyandwater/
- Writing to PO Box Z5386 St Georges Terrace PERTH WA 6831