Start with records for the property's council area, then compare them with visible drainage features. Neither source proves the exact route of a buried pipe.
If the alignment still matters before excavation or repair, obtain current network information and arrange non-destructive locating. Do not confirm a route by exploratory digging.
Make sure you are tracing stormwater
Stormwater carries rain from roofs and hard surfaces, while sanitary drainage carries wastewater. Our guide to where sewer and stormwater drains lead can help separate the two systems before you follow the wrong pipe.
From ground level, record roof downpipes, tank overflows, grated inlets, strip drains, pits, visible outlets and drainage easements. Their positions suggest possible connections, but buried pipes can change direction away from the apparent surface alignment.
Check records for the correct council area
There is no single complete Queensland map for private stormwater drainage. Available documents depend on the council, property type, development history and records retained for that site.
- Brisbane: Council stormwater plans can include council and non-council infrastructure. A physical site investigation may still be required when as-constructed drawings are unavailable.
- Logan: Online property records can include stormwater or roofwater plans where they exist. Logan states that it does not keep private roofwater records for Class 1a dwellings.
- Ipswich: A residential private sanitary-drain plan concerns sewerage pipework, not necessarily stormwater. Some commercial hydraulic searches can include stormwater location plans where records exist.
Confirm the actual local-government area before requesting records. Do not treat a sanitary-drain plan, general infrastructure map or historical drawing as a complete private stormwater survey.
Compare the plans with visible clues
- Mark each roofwater entry: Note where downpipes and rainwater-tank overflows enter the ground.
- Identify surface collection points: Record driveway grates, courtyard drains, strip drains and accessible pit locations.
- Check recorded easements: An easement may explain where infrastructure crosses the land, but it does not identify every private branch.
- Look for the discharge direction: Compare visible outlets and property boundaries with the records without assuming ownership.
- Flag discrepancies: Extensions, landscaping and later drainage work can leave an old plan incomplete.
In Brisbane, the owner maintains private stormwater infrastructure and its outlet to the point of discharge. Council maintains its infrastructure beyond the property boundary. Confirm the responsible asset and council before applying that boundary elsewhere.
What can Before You Dig Australia show?
Lodge a Before You Dig Australia enquiry before disturbing the ground. Responses provide indicative information from participating network owners, not approval to excavate or proof of exact depth and alignment.
Private domestic services commonly do not appear on BYDA plans, and not every asset owner participates. Follow each affected owner's instructions and use a skilled locator where plans need interpretation or an unrecorded service may be present.
When should the route be located professionally?
Use professional locating when the private line is absent from records, site clues conflict, excavation is planned or the route must be known for drainage work. The method depends on access, pipe material and the condition of the system.
Queensland's drainage licence scope covers work on above-ground and below-ground stormwater drainage systems. Any installation, repair, alteration or testing must be handled by someone with the appropriate licence.
Do not enter a pit, pipe or culvert, lift an unstable cover, probe the soil or work through active flooding. Stop if water is near electrical equipment or a public asset appears damaged.
If you are tracing the route because grates or downpipes are slow or overflowing, read the signs of a blocked stormwater system before choosing the next step.
For an unclear private route linked to a drainage fault, arrange assessment by an appropriately licensed drainer and a skilled locator where needed.