Parkdale
Blocked, burst or leaking in Parkdale?
Blocked drains, burst pipes and leaks in Parkdale, from the beach to the postwar streets inland, passed to a licensed plumber day and night.
Plumbing in Parkdale
Flood-prone streets and a beachside first strip
Kingston says much of Parkdale is prone to flooding, and its drainage projects aim to lift the network's capacity for big storms. In heavy rain a property drain backs up quickly, so the council connection is checked before the house pipe takes the blame.
The first houses went up close to the sea, so that is where the oldest drains are most likely to be found. The age of the house is the first question there, before modern pipe is assumed.
Kingston books inspections of stormwater connections here against a valid Stormwater Connection Permit. The trench is not covered until that inspection is done, so the wait is part of the job plan.
Jobs in Parkdale
Storm backups and older lines
Blocked drains
Older lines in the strip where early houses favoured the area between the beach and the railway line.
CCTV drain inspection
A camera to date a pipe and find the fault before a trench is opened.
Gutters and downpipes
Downpipes and stormwater lines that overflow in storms, since much of Parkdale is prone to flooding.
What it costs: hot water replacement cost, gutter replacement cost, toilet installation cost
Parkdale questions
Postwar subdivisions and storm surcharge
Are drains further from the beach a different age?
Usually. In the early postwar years residential subdivisions moved away from the beach and the railway station, so those streets carry a later generation of pipe and a different drain layout from the older strip.
Why does the yard fill with water when the gully is clear?
The street network is often full in a big storm, and a council pipe that surcharges pushes water back up a perfectly clear house line. Kingston is enlarging parts of that network, so the council side is checked before anything is dug.
How can the age of a drain be told before digging?
A camera shows the pipe material and its joints from the inside. Clay with cement collars points to an older house, while plastic points to later work, and that changes whether a reline or a repair makes sense.

