Thread: Water from Neighbour's Block - What Would You Do

I think you'll find that water from downpipes has to be piped to the street or if, as in our case, we are below the street so water can't be made to run uphill, it has to go either into inter-allotment drainage or, if there isn't any as in our case, into a gravel pit as Brian says. However, as has been said this is Qld and you're in the ACT so maybe they've figured out how to make water run uphill down there.
Surface water is a different thing and can't be dammed, but has to be allowed to flow, although it can be directed.
Be interesting to see what your council has to say.

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Originally Posted by Dorian

I well know about not damming overflow surface water, and really wouldn't advise it, despite my previous post.
I talked to this guy for several months and even offered to help him do the digging and the plumbing to repair his storm water drainage system. During 2008 - 2011 we had several events where we had water in our house mainly because my storm water system, which I had replaced/upgraded (several pits down his side of my yard), couldn't cope with the water from his yard.
I did this as a last resort, and when he gets a fence around his pool and takes down the sheds he doesn't have approval for I might get worried about a visit from council, heck even if just fixed his roof water up, i'd take the top layer of bricks off the wall (no reo in the top layer), which would let the the water over at the back of the yard.
So apologies for the previous post but since moving to this house I've found this very issue a difficult one to deal with.

My understanding from the Council inspector is that if the land slopes from his place to yours it is your water as water runs downhill and it is up to you to handle it in an approved manner. You may not dam it up as with a high retaining wall to prevent it entering your property, nor may he direct it onto your property, The natural flow should be allowed to take place. He advised me to run my roof water into a rubble pit even though I did not need to as my roof water was dispersed onto ground a sufficient distance inside my property. The rubble pit would put the issue beyond doubt.