How we can help

Connecting drinking water and wastewater (or sewerage) services to your site is a critical part of property development. We can help with:

  • Tools for researching your land, including mapping services and general advice.
  • Technical advice and support on applications, from simple renovations to major sub-divisions or multi-stage developments.
  • Advice for building over our pipes, including design requirements and formal approvals.
  • Support for developers undertaking complex brownfield or greenfield developments.
  • Requirements for the disposal of trade waste from commercial or industrial business operations.


Seeking advice on your land or future development

If you need to find out about what is under the ground on your property, we can help. Visit Research my land for information about the existing network connections on your lot. 

If you are planning a more complex development, or a development that will generate trade waste (waste from a commercial or manufacturing activity) and you need advice before you lodge your application for Water Approval, we recommend you request a Services Advice Notice (SAN).  

Other services available which may useful before lodging a Water Approval application:

Flow and pressure testing advice
Engineering searches
Build over infrastructure referrals


Making a change to our drinking water or wastewater networks

Urban Utilities is responsible for authorising connections, disconnections and alterations to our water supply and wastewater (sewerage) networks. These changes are managed through the Water Approval process. The following steps will help determine the type of Water Approval you may need, and the type of application you need to lodge. 

You need a Water Approval from Urban Utilities for any of the following:

  • connecting new water and/or wastewater infrastructure to our network
  • disconnecting existing water and/or wastewater infrastructure from our network
  • altering existing water and/or wastewater infrastructure, such as reusing existing pipes and connections for a new purpose
  • developing land or changing the current land use within a site (or sites) regardless of whether physical changes are proposed to water and/or wastewater infrastructure.

Generally speaking, development activities requiring a Development Approval (DA) from your local council, will also require a Water Approval from us (if you are within our service area).

Examples such as dividing one residential lot into two residential lots (i.e. a subdivision), converting a residential dwelling (house) to a dental surgery, or increasing the size of an existing office or shop via a building extension all require a Water Approval from us regardless of changes proposed to water or wastewater infrastructure.

You do not need a Water Approval from Urban Utilities if you are:

  • developing or constructing outside our service area
  • completing a Building Approval that does not involve changes to our water and/or wastewater network (for example, a home renovation or extension). Note that in some instances, home renovations may require a Build Over Asset Referral
  • purchasing or moving to a property where water and wastewater services are already in place and where no changes to services or land use are proposed.

The scope and size of the works you are proposing, and any associated changes proposed to water and/or wastewater infrastructure, will determine the type of application you need to lodge.

If your works involve making small modifications to our infrastructure in order to accommodate a new driveway, retaining wall, landscaping or fence within your property, read all about a Works Request.

If your works involve building a new dwelling, subdividing one lot into two or three lots, merging up to three residential lots, building up to six dwellings on a single lot or building a self-contained dwelling on a lot (e.g. granny flat), read all about Standard Connections.

If your works are more complex in nature and don’t fit into either of these categories, read all about Non-Standard Connections.

1. Drinking Water Supply and/or Wastewater Works Request

A Drinking Water Supply and/or Wastewater Works Request can be used by property owners to make small modifications to their water connection, water meter, and/or wastewater infrastructure within or adjacent to their property boundary. Following approval, we will provide you with a quote and complete the works for you. 

Types of works which may be approved:
  • Relocation of an existing water meter from one position to another
  • Raising the lid of a wastewater maintenance structure (or manhole) by a maximum of 500mm
  • Connecting a water service to a council park
  • Small extensions to existing wastewater infrastructure
  • Installation of a new water meter
  • Disconnection of an existing residential water meter

Learn more about or apply for a Drinking Water Supply and/or Wastewater Works Request (please note, this Request cannot be used and will not be approved by Urban Utilities where changes to infrastructure are required as part of a Development Approval (such as residential subdivision).

2. Water Approval for a Standard Connection, for developments including:

  • Building a new detached dwelling (house) or a duplex on an existing lot.
  • Subdividing one residential lot to create (up to) three lots (Reconfiguration of a Lot) resulting in:
    • a detached dwelling (house) on each of the lots; or
    • a duplex development on each lot; or
    • any combination of the above.
  • Merging up to three residential lots to create two lots or one lot, with a detached dwelling (house) or duplex development on each lot (Reconfiguration of a Lot).
  • Altering a detached dwelling (house) or duplex lot line (boundary realignment/Reconfiguration of a Lot).
  • Building up to six multi-unit dwellings (apartments or townhouses) up to three storeys within a single lot (please note, certain restrictions apply).
  • Building an ancillary (self-contained) dwelling on a residential lot (e.g. granny flat). It is recommended that you refer to the relevant local planning scheme for advice relating to permitted ancillary dwellings. 

Learn about or apply for a Standard Connection Water Approval (please note, in some instances Standard Connection Water Approval applications may be assessed as Non-Standard Water Approval applications based on design or site complexities).

3. Water Approval for a Non-Standard Connection, for developments including:

  • Connecting a new or altered water supply or wastewater service to a property (other than those identified as Standard Connections above).
  • Completing a multi-stage development, or development involving complex assets (pumping, storage and treatment facilities and reticulation network).
  • Planning a development that will generate trade waste.
  • Lowering a maintenance structure (manhole).
  • Raising a maintenance structure (manhole), excluding G-type with finished height less than three metres.

Learn about or apply for a Non-Standard Connection Water Approval.

 

Before submitting your Water Approval application, you will need to have the following information ready:

  • Development intention or council Development Approval – the details of the development you are proposing within your lot is important to our assessment. 
  • Type of connection – property service connection or network connection. 
  • Property Owner/s Consent form – if you are not the land owner.
  • Property Information form – used to detail property information and calculate infrastructure charges. 
  • Preliminary design – required to indicate the water supply and wastewater servicing strategy for the proposed development. You may choose to engage an engineer to complete preliminary designs. 

 

 

Lodging online

Lodge your application easily online using our Developer Applications Portal.

    For help preparing a complete and correct application, download our Check for Completeness Guideline.