Building surveyors and councils won’t issue a building permit unless you have our written approval to work or build near our assets such as pipes, drains and water mains.

Before you apply to councils for a town planning or building permit, you must find out if your property is near or within any Melbourne Water easements or assets – such as drains, sewers or water mains.

If we need ‘as constructed’ plans for the asset near your property, you’ll need to engage a licensed surveyor and Service Detection Locators to prove its location.

These guidelines have been prepared to simplify and standardise application and computation of floodway safety requirements in the greater Melbourne region.

Stormwater connections can have many and diverse impacts on waterway health.

The hydrologic and hydraulic design requirements for drainage systems are described.

The use of easements and reserves to protect our assets will be influenced by the type of asset, long term statutory responsibilities, implied rights and required control over use of the land.

For public safety the need for fencing of all structures should be considered. For example, all inlet and outlet structures in the proposed system will require fencing.

This section details the maintenance requirements for underground drains and channels.

The manual outlines our requirements for best practice waterway design to help professionals working in the land development industry who design, construct and establish waterways in new urban developments.