Report an issue
Please use the form below to report issues such as:
- blocked or flooding stormwater drains
- damaged or missing grate covers
- problems with a connection from a private property into a City of Melbourne drain.
If there is any hazard to the public, damage to property or the issue requires urgent attention, please call us immediately on 03 9658 9658.
Report a problem with a drain
Litter traps
To protect waterways from litter, the City of Melbourne has installed litter traps throughout the city’s drainage system. Litter traps include:
- large underground litter traps weighing several tonnes
- litter racks that trap litter behind a large metal grate
- release nets attached to the end of pipes.
Smaller traps are located at the end point of drains to catch litter before the stormwater runs into the Yarra River or other waterways.
There are more than 20 litter traps throughout the City of Melbourne which are checked and emptied regularly. We will continue to install and maintain litter traps improve the quality of the water washing from our streets into the Yarra River, Moonee Ponds Creek, Maribyrnong River and Port Phillip Bay.
Did you know?
Up to three billion pieces of litter (approximately 2000 to 3000 tonnes) are washed into Melbourne’s waterways through stormwater drains every year. Almost all of the litter on our beaches comes from suburban streets.
What you can do
Many people don’t realise that drain water from roads and footpaths feeds straight into the Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay. Unlike the sewerage system, there is no treatment process for stormwater. When it rains, anything on the ground will get washed down the drain and into our waterways.
Help keep our waterways clean by properly disposing of the following items.
- Litter, leaves and construction material – Put litter in waste bins at home or around the city. Dispose of construction materials using waste disposal facilities. Do not hose bins, leaves, litter and sediment from footpaths and roads into drains.
- Cigarette butts – Butt them out and put them in a bin.
- Oils – Put small amounts of oil in a sealed container and into a waste bin. If you run a business and have large amounts of oil, use an approved waste collector to take your oil for recycling.
- Used water – Tip dirty water containing detergents down the sink where it will be treated in the sewerage system, instead of contaminating creeks and rivers by pouring it down the drain. Water containing safe detergents can be used on your garden.
