Stormwater

The stormwater system explained

Our stormwater system directs rainwater and surface run-off to creeks, rivers, lakes and the ocean. Unlike the wastewater, or sewerage system, stormwater does not need to be treated. The wastewater system collects household waste from toilets, baths, washing machines, the kitchen, etc and delivers it to a wastewater treatment works. These two systems are separate, and it is illegal to cross-connect the two systems.

It is illegal to connect stormwater to the wastewater system as it increases the volume delivered for treatment and can overload our wastewater treatment plants.

Further, the yard sink for your home (often located on the outside wall of the kitchen or laundry) is designed in the unlikely event of a sewer surcharge, to ensure the overflow occurs outside your home and not via your toilets and wash basins. Yard sinks are connected to the sewerage system and not designed to collect any stormwater. It is illegal to connect or direct stormwater to your yard sink.

Hunter Water conducts inspections and smoke testing to detect illegal connection and will require you to remove any illegal work. This may mean carrying out changes to expensive landscaping, so it’s much better to get it right the first time.

Our stormwater responsibilities

We will provide you with a service for the transportation of stormwater through stormwater drainage systems under our control if your property is within a declared stormwater drainage area.

If your property is within a declared stormwater drainage area we will charge you the charges for this service set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW.

Maps are available from us for inspection to assist in determining whether your land is within a declared stormwater drainage area. We will write to you if an area is declared a stormwater drainage area and it affects your property.

How we maintain the stormwater system

Hunter Water’s role is to maintain the current capacity of stormwater drains within the constraints of new development. This is primarily achieved by:

• Making sure the channels are sound and in good condition
• Ensuring that rubbish doesn’t accumulate in the channels and drains.

Our Environmental Management Plan identifies that the overriding objective is to cooperate with other organisations and the community to improve urban stormwater catchment management in our area of responsibility. This includes working with Total Catchment Management committees and local councils to support environmental programs and to raise public awareness of stormwater issues.