Septic Sewerage Conversions

 

Once a common feature of households across Perth, septic tanks are gradually being phased out by connections to the mains sewerage systems.  If you buy a property and find that you have a septic tank (especially if the house was built prior to the 1970s) you will need to get it decommissioned and your property connected to the Water Corporations sewer main. In fact, according to regulation, you have 10 years to do so.  If you’re not sure of your access to water and sewer services, you can always check with the Water Corporation of Western Australia.  They have an online search facility that lets you see the e-plans for the water mains, sewer mains and sewer junctions located in your property.

Decommissioning an old septic tank and converting it to a mains system is not always a straight forward job, and can involve major excavations or extensive pipework to bring it up to date.  If you do need to have your septic tank converted, you should talk to a professional plumber such as Superior Plumbing who specialises in this area.

We do septic to mains sewerage conversions

Apart from the regulatory requirement to have your septic tank converted to mains sewerage within 10 years of the system being run past your property, there are several reasons to consider having it decommissioned sooner rather than later.  These include:

How does the conversion process work?

Our process for the decommissioning of your septic tank, and connecting your property up to the main sewerage system is governed by the regulations and guidelines set out by the Water Corporation.  Once our qualified experts have reviewed your property and the extent of the conversion, we’ll be able to give you a free, no obligation quote for the cost of the job.  We’ll also be able to give you a rough estimate for how long it will take.  Obviously being without a fully functioning sewerage system can be challenging, so we aim to have the project completed as quickly as possible.

This first steps to moving you onto the mains sewerage system involve applying for approval through the Water Corporation.  An application will need to be submitted via the BuilderNet online system they use, with any associated paperwork being given to the Plumbers Licensing Board.  Thanks to our years of experience, we can liaise with the Water Corporation on your behalf, ensuring that all necessary steps are being followed to the letter.

On site, we will then find out if there is a sewer junction that is in place for the mains sewerage system.  If we cannot find one, we’ll need to submit a request to have a new junction installed.  Once this is in place or we have located the exiting junction, we can then decommission your tank.  This involves a number of steps, including pumping out the existing contents and cleaning the interior, filling it with sand and burying it in the ground.

Any existing pipework that connected the tank to your property will need to be excavated and removed, with new PVC pipework laid to connect to the mains system.  Depending on the size and complexity of your existing septic tank pipework, this may be take considerable time to complete.  Once the project is finished, we will create and submit a plumbing diagram to the Building Commissions.

Get the professionals on the job

Don’t put your conversion off assuming that it’ll cost you a lot or will be too disruptive to your property.  As you can see, while the conversion process itself can be straight forward, there are many different elements that can make it challenging for property owners and plumbers alike.

Getting professionals who have decades of experience with decommissioning septic tanks and connecting up to the main sewerage system in Perth is critical to ensuring your conversion goes as smoothly as possible.