Drains in Blackwood

Blackwood

A hills suburb that grew with the railway

Blackwood sits in the Adelaide Hills about 15 km from the city centre, in the City of Mitcham. It took off after the railway to Aldgate opened and Blackwood station began running in 1883, with land subdivided for housing at about the same time. Creeks, gullies and waterfalls run through the area, and the name is thought to come from a dark-barked gum that grows here. In 2021, 80% of its homes were separate houses and 15.3% were flats or apartments.

Homes from the early subdivisions often still drain through earthenware pipe, which is brittle and jointed every short length, so roots from garden and gully trees find their way in. Hills blocks mean long runs from the house down to the connection, and Adelaide's clay soils shift between dry summers and wet winters. We find where the line is blocked or broken, then clear it, film it or quote the repair.

• On a sloping block the outside overflow gully is usually on the low side of the house, near the kitchen or laundry. Keep its grate clear of leaves so you see water rising early.
• In one of Blackwood's blocks of flats the drain line is often shared. Tell us which unit is backing up and whether the neighbours have noticed it too.
• Gum leaves and gully debris settle in stormwater pits each winter. Lift the pit grate after the first big rains and scoop out the silt before it reaches the pipe.