Patterson Lakes
Blocked, burst or leaking in Patterson Lakes?
Blocked drains, burst pipes and leaks in Patterson Lakes, from the canals to the Inner Harbour, passed to a licensed plumber day and night.
Plumbing in Patterson Lakes
Fill, canals and a seventies estate
In the early seventies a developer took over wetland south of the Patterson River and designed a raised residential estate set in artificial lakes or canals. Homes from then on are likely to have PVC drains rather than earthenware.
The Encyclopedia of Melbourne describes the lakes as a remnant of the Carrum Swamp, joined to a series of waterways that lead to the Patterson River and the bay. Stormwater from canal-front lots runs into tidal water, so an outlet can back up at high tide before any pipe is actually blocked.
Jobs in Patterson Lakes
Plastic drains and tidal outlets
Blocked drains
PVC house drains on raised fill, where a dip matters more than roots.
Gutters and downpipes
Downpipes and stormwater lines on canal-front lots that discharge to tidal water.
CCTV drain inspection
A camera to find a sag where the fill under a pipe has settled.
What it costs: hot water replacement cost, gutter replacement cost, toilet installation cost
Patterson Lakes questions
Marina approvals, retirement villages and shared lots
Who approves work on a pipe at the water's edge?
Melbourne Water, where its assets are involved. Kingston says that authority must approve building over its assets at the Inner Harbour, because it assesses how a design interacts with critical drainage and waterway infrastructure, so an outlet job by the water allows for that lead time.
Is a drain on a former Housing Commission lot shared?
It can be. Victorian Places notes some allotments without lakeside access were developed by the Housing Commission, and the suburb also has retirement villages. Either can share sewer branches or sit under an owners corporation, so ownership of the pipe is settled before a repair is priced.
Do roots cause blockages on a canal estate?
Less often than in older suburbs. Plastic pipe with sealed joints resists roots, so a camera is more likely to show a dip in the line where the filled ground has moved.
