Stormwater drains
Stormwater drains can be owned by property owners, Melbourne Water, City of Melbourne, Department of Transport (VicRoads) and various infrastructure managers. The owner of each drain is responsible for its ongoing management and maintenance.
City of Melbourne is responsible for the management and maintenance of our stormwater system. These include the kerb and channels (gutters), open channels, underground drains, pits located in public roads and our drains in drainage easements.
Damage to your stormwater drain
You, as the property owner are responsible for maintaining all stormwater connections between your internal drainage system on private property and our drainage network. This includes the section located within a street, laneway, public land or an easement to the point of connection.
Management of stormwater on your property
You are responsible for managing the stormwater accumulating within your property. Stormwater must be collected within your property and discharged to our drainage network in accordance with the nominated legal point of discharge advice obtained from City of Melbourne.
Issues with flooding or overland flow of water between private properties must be resolved between property owners. Resolution may require drainage works to be carried out on both properties. Council is not responsible for managing drainage issues or disputes between private properties.
Legal point of discharge
A legal point of discharge report specifies where stormwater from a property must be discharged to our drainage network. This point is usually our stormwater drain, pit or street kerb and channel. You may need to construct a new drain or a pit to connect to our underground drain. In most cases, Council will provide preliminary advice and requirements based on the development, to assist the applicant in designing the system.
We only accept discharges to our nominated legal point of discharge via gravity to protect the integrity of our drainage infrastructure.
You need to obtain a legal point of discharge report from us in accordance with Regulation 133(2) of the Building Regulations 2018Opens in new tab if you’re applying to do building work that includes a stormwater drainage system.
How to apply
You must apply online for a legal point of discharge report.
To start an application, you'll need to log in with your registered customer account. Find out more about how to register and log in.
If you require your property stormwater to be connected to council drainage system, you will need to submit:
- a site plan clearly showing the property boundaries requiring legal point of discharge.
To support your application, you can choose to submit:
- A covering letter with the scope of works explained clearly shown.
- Additional documents such as drawings and calculations.
- Details of existing stormwater property connections.
There is a report fee of $159.50 payable by credit card when you submit your application.
We will determine the appropriate legal point of discharge in each case.
We will contact you if we require further information.
We will notify you of the report outcome within 10 business days.
When installing the new drainage, if you are doing any work on public land such as footpath, nature strip, kerb and channels and laneways, you must request and apply for consent for works.
Apply for a legal point of discharge report
Engineering design drawings – drainage
Please submit engineering design drawings as part of the consent for works application process.
Where the works require significant drainage works in the public realm or will not commence within the next 12 months you can request our pre-approval.
Refer to the standard drawings, specification and drainage guidelines in council web site when preparing engineering standard drawings for drainage where necessary.
Additional fees may apply for reviewing engineering design drawings and supervising construction works. You will be informed of any relevant costs prior to the review commencing.
How to apply
Submit the following documentation:
- Calculation report that demonstrates the property stormwater discharge and how it meets permissible site discharge and onsite detention if required.
- Civil and drainage design plans showing drainage infrastructure that are consistent with the report.
- Copy of your planning permit.
Submit engineering design drawings for pre-approval
Inspection of drainage works
You will need to arrange a site inspection of the drainage works as required by your legal point of discharge report or your consent for works approval. Please contact us at least three business days before the commencement of works on site. You need to use council approved drawings and letter for construction works and need to keep a copy on site at all times.
Property owners, their representatives and contractors are responsible for ensuring all works are undertaken in accordance with our permits and approved engineering design drawings.
If a design change is required, you must submit the revised drawings for our review and approval before commencing any work.
Stormwater treatment
We are committed to improving the quality of water being discharged into the drainage network that ends up in our waterways. We work with developers and property owners to incorporate stormwater treatment measures into new developments. These measures help protect and improve the condition of our waterways and irrigate urban vegetation.
Water sensitive urban design principles minimise the impact of new developments on the surrounding environment and improve stormwater quality. These principles are specified in our Stormwater Management (water sensitive urban design) Policy, part of the Melbourne Planning Scheme.
Stormwater treatment measures can take various forms in the urban environment, including:
Collection and reuse of rainwater and stormwater on site
- vegetated swales and buffer strips
- rain gardens
- installation of water recycling systems
- multiple uses of water within a single manufacturing site
- direction of flow from impervious ground surfaces to landscaped areas.
The inclusion of stormwater treatment into a building design reduces potable water consumption and mitigates flood impacts on our drainage network.
Water sensitive urban design
As part of the requirements for a town planning permit you might need to obtain approval for any proposed stormwater treatment measures. If you are making changes to your property that may impact the quality or amount of stormwater being discharged, you will need to submit a water sensitive urban design (WSUD) report to City of Melbourne.
You need to specify how best-practice targets can be achieved in a water sensitive urban design report, and submit the required documentation for approval. You can use the free online STORM calculator to generate a report for extensions, single dwellings, units and townhouses. To comply with our standards, City of Melbourne requires a 100 per cent or greater STORM rating.
When it comes to larger developments you may need to seek professional services. Stormwater professionals have access to sophisticated stormwater quality modelling tools such as Model for Urban Stormwater Improvement Conceptualisation (MUSIC) software.
Groundwater and seepage water management
Discharge of groundwater or basement seepage to Council stormwater drainage network is not permitted in City of Melbourne. Overflow from a reuse system is not permitted to be discharged to stormwater either. Refer to Council's Groundwater management guidelines (PDF 208 KB).
Please submit the following documentation:
- Report demonstrating how best-practice stormwater quality performance objectives are achieved.
- Civil and drainage design plans showing stormwater quality infrastructure that is consistent with the report.
- Copy of your planning permit.
There are no application fees for our assessment of your water sensitive urban design.
We will review your application and contact you if we require further information.
We will notify you of the assessment outcome within 10 business days.
Apply for water sensitive urban design (WSUD) approval
Frequently asked questions
Yes, although typically, water-sensitive urban design should be integrated into the drainage design and submitted as a single package.
You are required to submit colour closed-circuit television (CCTV) survey and report of stormwater assets if you are constructing a new drain and handing over to council after the project. Also council will require CCTV when there is a gantry permit or any streetscape work as part of the development works. All CCTV should be completed in accordance with the current Conduit Inspection Recording Code of Australia (WSA 05).
You do not need to apply for legal point of discharge to use existing connection for internal refurbishment works and maintenance works. Any other changes to the building or change inside the property boundary will require you to apply for legal point of discharge. This includes any modifications of the roofline, gutters, downpipes, pits, pipes, detention tanks, rain gardens, rainwater tanks to the legal point of discharge.
A stormwater asset map can be provided upon request to show the indicative details but invert levels and pit/pipe locations must be verified on site with site survey before completing drainage design. This will avoid any issues at the construction stage.
Legal point of discharge approval is valid if you have a valid planning or building permit and there is no change to the approved drainage design.
Code of Practice for Building, Construction and Works
The Code of Practice for Building, Construction and Works in the City of Melbourne sets out all safety and amenity requirements when using or impacting public space for any kind of building, construction or general works.
These requirements are intended to protect the public and our property around sites where works are occurring.
Contact us
Phone
Related pages
Engineering standards and specifications
Works affecting infrastructure must be designed, constructed and reinstated according to strict standards.
Planning requirements for Water Sensitive Urban Design
Minimise the impact of development on waterways.
Monitoring drains
We're responsible for a network of drains that prevent stormwater run-off from impacting property, footpaths and roads.
