One slow sink or shower is usually within reach: hair, fat or soap close to the plughole. If several drains are slow, or the overflow relief gully outside is spilling, the blockage is further down and needs a licensed plumber.
Shower and basin drains
- Pull out the hair. Lift the grate and remove what you can reach by hand or with a cheap plastic drain snake.
- Plunge. A small cup plunger over the plughole, with the overflow covered by a wet cloth.
- Flush with hot tap water and test.
Kitchen sinks
- Remove accessible debris. Clear the strainer safely and avoid adding more water if the sink is backing up. Do not use hot water to flush cooking fat into the pipe.
- Leave pipework assembled. If accessible plughole cleaning and gentle plunging do not help, arrange a licensed plumber; do not dismantle the trap or open drain fittings.
- Never pour fat down the sink again: let it set and bin it.
When it is not your sink
If the toilet gurgles when the sink drains, or water comes up in the shower floor waste, or the overflow relief gully outside is wet, a blockage in the house drain or sewer is one possibility requiring investigation. Pipes on your property are yours to fix with a licensed plumber; call the water company first if sewage is overflowing (Yarra Valley Water: 13 27 62).
Who fixes it: You, the owner, with a licensed plumber.
Who to call: A licensed plumber.
Who fixes it: You: the owner must keep it working. It lets sewage spill outside instead of inside.
Who to call: A licensed plumber, or the water company first if sewage is overflowing.
Who fixes it: You: everything from the connection point to the house is your private pipe.
Who to call: A licensed plumber. Ask the water company first if several houses are affected.
Who fixes it: For Yarra Valley Water, responsibility ends at the inspection opening or up to 1 metre inside the boundary, whichever is less. Ask the utility to confirm your connection.
Who to call: Yarra Valley Water faults, 13 27 62, for most of the north and east.
Who fixes it: The water company.
Who to call: Your water company's faults line (13 27 62 for Yarra Valley Water).
Who fixes it: Yarra Valley Water maintains the main-to-meter pipe, stop tap and meter in the usual setup. Internal pipes, private extensions and private mains can be the owner's responsibility.
Who to call: Water company for a meter or street leak; a licensed plumber for your side.
Who fixes it: You, with a licensed plumber; gas units need a licensed gasfitter.
Who to call: A licensed plumber or gasfitter.
From Yarra Valley Water's repair responsibilities, checked 16 October 2026. This drawing is schematic; connection and meter arrangements vary. Check your bill for your utility and confirm the actual repair boundary.
What a plumber charges
hipages puts plumbers at about $80 to $160 an hour in Melbourne, plus a call-out fee. Ask for the price before work starts. More: plumber cost. Old clay drains and tree roots: tree roots in pipes.
Common questions
Who is responsible for a blocked drain in Melbourne?
You are for pipes on your property, up to the water company's connection point; the water company is for its sewer main. Call it first if you are not sure.
Why does my drain smell?
A dry trap (water evaporated from an unused floor waste) or a slow blockage. Run water into unused drains; if the smell persists, call a plumber.
One fixture, several fixtures or an outdoor overflow
Use the pattern of existing symptoms to decide whom to contact. One slow basin may involve a local restriction; several fixtures affected together can indicate a wider problem. These observations help describe the issue but do not locate it conclusively.
Do not keep running the dishwasher, washing machine or taps to see whether backed-up water eventually disappears. Stop adding water if the level is rising or another fixture is overflowing. If sewage is spilling, contact the relevant water company's faults service and keep people away from the affected area.
An outdoor stormwater grate is not automatically part of the sewer. Note where water appears and whether it coincides with rain or the use of a fixture. Leave the identification to the appropriate practitioner if you are unsure, rather than opening covers or redirecting water between systems.
Accessible cleaning and the point to stop
Remove debris from an accessible plughole strainer or removable hair catcher only where it can be handled safely and without dismantling plumbing. Keep hands and tools out of waste-disposal machinery. A fixed grate, jammed fitting or concealed trap is a reason to arrange help rather than apply more force.
If gentle plunging does not resolve an isolated, suitable fixture, stop before moving to powered tools, opening the trap or using drain-cleaning equipment. Victorian plumbing work has specific work boundaries. A method described on an overseas video may involve work that requires a practitioner here.
Tell the plumber about any cleaner already added. Keep the product name available and do not combine products. A chemical in standing water changes the risk of splashing and the information a tradesperson needs before working on the fixture.
A recurring kitchen blockage needs a cause
If a sink clears briefly and blocks again, record how long the improvement lasted and whether another appliance or fixture was in use. This is more informative than describing the drain as permanently fixed after each temporary improvement.
Keep fats and food solids out of the drain rather than using hot water to move them out of sight. Let cooking fat cool and put it in an appropriate waste container. Use a strainer for solids and clean it regularly. These habits do not repair a damaged or poorly draining pipe, but they avoid adding material to an unresolved problem.
For an invented investigation, the plumber might propose clearing the obstruction, then checking a recurring issue further. Ask what the first price includes, whether inspection is separate and what evidence supports a recommended repair. A camera image or written diagnosis can help distinguish a temporary clearing from a proposed pipe replacement.
Sources
- Yarra Valley Water, Repair responsibilities
- Yarra Valley Water, Report a fault
- hipages, How much does a plumber cost? (updated 24 July 2026)
Checked 16 October 2026. Rules and prices change; check with the regulator, your water company or a licensed plumber.