Overflowing gully trap

Causes

Downpipe discharging rainwater into gully trap, overloading sewer capacity 

Gully trap is blocked by rubbish, leaves, debris

Tree roots blocking drain

Drain pipe has been crushed due to a heavy weight; for example, a vehicle has run over a pipe that is close to the surface

Listed under: plumbing, drains, Services

Cause

Downpipe discharging rainwater into gully trap, overloading sewer capacity 

Repair

  • gully traps should only receive wastewater piped from the house – stormwater from a  downpipe should never connect to them. If this is happening, redirect the stormwater to a stormwater system (or an on-site soak pit, detention tank or similar)

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Cause

Gully trap is blocked by rubbish, leaves, debris

Repair

  • remove rubbish blocking the gully trap by pulling it out – avoid pushing it further down the drain. If necessary, rod the drain and try to pull the blockage up

  • if the drain remains blocked, call in a registered plumber or drainlayer

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Cause

Tree roots blocking drain

Repair

  • blockages caused by tree roots can be confirmed by a registered plumber or drainlayer inserting a CCTV camera on a long cable into the drain

  • a short-term solution is for the plumber/drainlayer to cut the roots away with a specialist power tool

  • some plumbers/drainlayers offer internal patching solutions once the roots have been removed

  • digging up and replacing the affected part of the drain, or the whole length of drain, can provide an effective longer-term solution. Replacement of wastewater drains must be done by a registered plumber or drainlayer

  • removing the trees is another option

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Cause

Drain pipe has been crushed due to a heavy weight; for example, a vehicle has run over a pipe that is close to the surface

Repair

  • call a registered plumber or drainlayer to repair the damaged pipe

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