What is a party line, and why am I joined with my neighbour?
A party line, or joint service, is a private sewer pipe shared by more than one property. Your house drains into a pipe that also carries your neighbour's waste, and the shared pipe then connects to Sydney Water's main. They're very common in semis, terraces and older blocks across the Eastern Suburbs, built when it was simpler to run one pipe for two or more homes. Here's what that means when something goes wrong.
How party lines work
Your own branch
Your pipe runs from your house to where it joins the shared section.
The shared section
From the junction, one pipe carries waste from both properties to the sewer main.
The main
Sydney Water's main and the junction into it belong to Sydney Water.
Who is responsible?
Sydney Water's position is that each owner who shares a joint private service is responsible for it, and neighbours need to agree on access and how repair costs are shared. In practice:
- A problem in your own branch is yours.
- A problem in the shared section is the shared responsibility of the owners using it.
- Owners need to give each other access to fix it.
When a party line blocks
If both homes back up at the same time, the shared section or the main is likely blocked. We clear the line and run a camera through it to show exactly where the problem is and whose section it's in, which makes the conversation with your neighbour much easier. If it's in Sydney Water's main, we'll give you the footage to report it. You get a fixed price before any work starts. See our sewer service diagram guide to see how your lines run.
In southern Eastern Suburbs homes
Semis and terraces in Kensington, Kingsford, Maroubra and Coogee, and older paired cottages in Matraville and Botany, very often share a sewer line with next door. Tree roots in the shared section are the most common problem we find.
Why locals call us
- Local to Matraville and the southern Eastern Suburbs
- Free on-site quotes, with a fixed price before any work starts
- Lifetime labour warranty on our workmanship
- 100+ five-star Google reviews
- Licensed plumbers and gasfitters (Lic. 398171C)
Common questions
What is a sewer party line?
A private sewer pipe shared by more than one property before it connects to Sydney Water's main.
Who pays to fix a shared sewer line?
The owners who share it are responsible for it together, and need to agree on how costs are shared.
How do I know if I share a sewer with my neighbour?
Your sewer service diagram shows it, or a camera inspection can trace where your pipe goes.
Can a party line be separated?
Sometimes a property can be given its own connection to the main. It depends on the layout and Sydney Water's requirements.
Related help: sewer responsibility guide, sewer service diagrams, sewer pipe under the road, CCTV drain inspection and blocked drains. Local pages: blocked drains Kensington, blocked drains Kingsford, blocked drains Maroubra and blocked drains Coogee.