Locating sewer infrastructure

Before you start digging or doing any construction work, it’s important to know where sewer lines are located. Hitting these pipes can cause serious problems like flooding, expensive repairs and even safety risks for workers and the public.

Knowing where these services are is also important when planning new buildings or upgrades. It helps make sure your project is designed correctly and doesn’t interfere with existing pipes. Taking the time to check first can save money, prevent delays, and keep everyone safe.

Ways to locate sewer lines

There are several ways to locate sewer lines before beginning construction work.

For options two, three and four below, we require the following to be completed before sewer locating work starts:

  • all services that may be affected must be accurately located for alignment and depth by a licensed surveyor or registered professional engineer of Queensland (RPEQ).
  • all survey work must be certified by an RPEQ before work begins.

Option one - online tools

Our online mapping system or Before You Dig are great tools to assist with locating sewer lines.

Option two - hire a vacuum excavation contractor

You or your contractor can hire a vacuum excavation company to expose the sewer main at your property boundaries.

Advantages

  • Accurate alignment and depth.
  • Very low risk of damaging Council assets.
  • More cost-effective than using a Council vacuum excavation service.
  • No need for our staff to attend while work is undertaken.

Option three - Council vacuum excavation service

You can request us to locate the sewer line for you. We will use a vacuum excavation truck to expose the sewer main at your property boundaries.

The cost for this service is per request by emailing us.

Advantages

  • Accurate alignment and depth.
  • Low risk of damage.

Option four - Council sonde location

We can use CCTV and electronic locating equipment (sonde) to find the sewer main. It's important to be aware that: 

  • accuracy can vary by up to 2 meters
  • we are not responsible if damage occurs using this method.

Key tasks

View infrastructure mapping

 

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