Water supply and sewerage
Urban Utilities delivers water and wastewater services to customers in Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and Somerset Council areas.
Separate water and sewerage account
Brisbane City Council ratepayers receive a water and wastewater account from Urban Utilities separate to their rate account.
Enquiries
Brisbane residents can contact Urban Utilities for enquiries about:
- burst mains, water and sewage leaks
- design and connections
- Dial Before You Dig service
- metered standpipes and fire hydrants
- pressure and leakage management
- recycled water
- trade waste
- water and sewerage charges
- water approvals
- water quality and treatment
For faults or emergencies, phone Urban Utilities on 13 23 64. For general enquiries, phone Urban Utilities on 13 26 57.
Dial Before You Dig
Urban Utilities provides a Dial Before You Dig service. Building contractors, homeowners, landscapers, developers, farmers and tradespeople can access free plans of Urban Utilities water and sewerage infrastructure, related to a property address in the Urban Utilities service area.
For more information on the Dial Before You Dig service, visit the Urban Utilities website.
Sewer overflows
A network of pipes, pumps and wastewater treatment plants are used for the transport and treatment of sewage in Brisbane. This system is operated and maintained by Urban Utilities.
Sewage has the potential to overflow from the network at various times. In wet weather, an overflow is usually the result of a large amount of stormwater entering the system which is above the capacity the sewer network can handle. Pumping stations and treatment plants are designed to overflow in certain situations to prevent raw sewage backing up into houses.
In dry weather, an overflow may be due to a blockage, damage to pipes, or a power system failure of a pumping station pump.
Overflows can result in untreated sewage directly entering the waterways.
What to do if you notice a sewer overflow
Urban Utilities manages and maintains the sewer network. If you notice sewage leaking or overflowing from Urban Utilities's network of pipes, phone them immediately on 13 23 64 (24 hours a day). Urban Utilities are responsible to clean up the overflow.
If the sewage leak is on your property, phone a licensed plumber immediately. Homeowners or plumbers requiring general advice can phone Urban Utilities on 13 26 57 between 7am and 7pm weekdays.
Avoid contact with raw sewage. Residents are advised to avoid any waterway where there has been a sewer overflow. If you have any health concerns about contact with sewage, phone 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) for advice.
For more information, visit the Urban Utilities website.
Notification of sewer overflows
As part of their licence conditions, Urban Utilities will notify Council when a sewer overflow spills onto Council land or into a waterway in the Council area. Urban Utilities is responsible to clean up the overflow.