I rent in Westminster and the toilet is backing up. What do I do?

Tell your landlord or property manager straight away, in writing if you can. Consumer Protection WA treats sewerage as an essential service, and the landlord has 24 hours to organise the repair. If sewage is overflowing, call Water Corporation on 13 13 75 too. We take work orders from landlords and agents.

Why do drains in older Yokine and Dianella homes keep blocking?

Most often it’s roots from established trees getting into an old house drain through a crack or joint. We clear it, and a drain camera shows where they’re getting in, so you can decide whether that section needs repairing.

Who pays for a blocked drain in a rental?

Usually the owner, because roots in an old line or a failed pipe aren’t the tenant’s fault. If the tenant caused it, for example by flushing wipes, the landlord may be able to charge it back. We describe the cause on the invoice.

Do you clear blocked drains in Nollamara townhouses?

Yes. Townhouses on a subdivided block often share a line before it reaches the sewer, so tell us if your neighbours are having trouble too. If there’s a strata manager, give us their details when you book.

Who pays if the blockage is in the sewer main?

Blockages in your property plumbing are the owner’s responsibility. If it’s in Water Corporation’s main, normally outside the property, Water Corporation clears it. If we find it there, we call them in.

Inner north · Blocked drains, City of Stirling

Blocked drains in Dianella, Mirrabooka, Yokine and Balga

Yokine takes its name from the Noongar word for dingo, chosen because the area sits beside Dog Swamp, and before the Second World War it had only one house. Dianella was built on sandy Banksia sandplain that early settlers thought was no good for farming. Balga’s three government primary schools opened in 1965, 1968 and 1970, as its streets filled with State Housing. That makes much of this stretch fifty to seventy years old, with gardens as old as the houses growing over the drains, and a good share of the homes are rentals.

The short answer

McDermott Plumbing clears blocked drains, toilets and sinks in Mirrabooka, Balga, Nollamara, Westminster, Yokine, Dianella, Menora and Coolbinia, for owners, tenants, landlords and property managers. Call (08) 6187 3999 or text 0406 882 648. It’s a run south-west from our Ellenbrook base, and we’ll give you a real arrival time. We clear with a drain machine or the hydro jetter, and use a CCTV drain camera to find roots or a broken section when a line keeps blocking. If sewage is overflowing from Water Corporation’s main or onto the street, call Water Corporation on 13 13 75 as well.

Yokine, Dianella, Menora and Coolbinia

Yokine boomed after the war. The streets near the golf course were mostly built by the early 1950s, Yokine Primary opened in 1959, and Dog Swamp Shopping Centre followed in 1967. By the late 1970s the suburb was almost fully built. Dianella was formed in 1958 by joining localities known as North Inglewood, East Yokine, Morley Park and Bedford Park. Its houses spread north from Walter Road and Grand Promenade through the 1960s, and Dianella Plaza opened in 1968. The last big estates, St Andrews, Montclair Rise and Dress Circle, went in during the early 2000s.

Menora and Coolbinia were split off from Mount Lawley in 1953 and 1954. Menora’s median age was 57 at the 2021 Census, and 41.2% of its residents were over 65, partly because of its retirement villages. If you’re booking a plumber for a parent, tell us who to call and how we get in.

Balga, Nollamara, Westminster and Mirrabooka

Balga, Nollamara and Westminster were designed by the State Housing Commission as part of the 1950s Mirrabooka Project, and Balga’s homes went up through the 1960s. Westminster was the southern part of Balga until 1995. About 44% of its homes are privately rented. In Nollamara, older houses are being knocked down for townhouses, so an old house drain and a brand-new one can run side by side on the same street. The suburb is also known for its mature trees.

Mirrabooka is the youngest of the group. It was mostly bushland called Yirrigan until 1980, then built up quickly in the 1980s and 1990s. Dryandra and Boyare primary schools opened in 1989 and 1991. Those homes are now 30 to 40 years old, and gardens planted when they were new have had time to reach the house drain.

Renting? Who sorts out a blocked drain

If you rent, tell your landlord or property manager as soon as you can, in writing if possible. Consumer Protection WA says the landlord has 24 hours to organise repairs to essential services, and sewerage is one of them. If the landlord doesn’t respond, Consumer Protection says the tenant can organise the urgent repair with a qualified repairer, to the basic level needed to fix the problem, and the landlord must reimburse any reasonable expense. Keep copies of your messages, the invoice and the receipt.

Usually the owner pays, because roots in an old line or a failed pipe aren’t the tenant’s fault. If a blockage was caused by wipes, fat or something flushed that shouldn’t have been, the landlord may be able to pass that on. We describe the cause on the invoice and send it to whoever authorised the work. This is general information, not legal advice. Our sewer blockage page has more on who pays.

What blocks drains around Mirrabooka and Dianella

Tree roots in old clay or earthenware house drains under established gardens. Water Corporation says homes more than 15 years old are less likely to have PVC sewer pipe, and that a hairline crack is enough for a root to get in.
Joints where townhouse infill or an extension tied new pipe into the original line, especially in Nollamara and Balga.
Wet wipes, nappies and paper towel. Water Corporation says these belong in the bin, even wipes labelled flushable.
Fat from busy family kitchens. Water Corporation says fats, oils and grease cause 30% of its wastewater blockages.
Sandy soil from the Banksia sandplain washing into outdoor gullies around loose grates and pavers.

Blocked sink in Dianella?

In a 1960s Dianella or Yokine kitchen that hasn’t been redone, the waste under the sink may be original metal pipe that has narrowed inside, so grease catches sooner. In a newer Dress Circle or St Andrews home, it’s more often scraps in the trap or a dishwasher sharing the waste. If only the sink is slow, start with the safe checks in our blocked kitchen sink guide. If the toilet, shower or outdoor gully is backing up too, stop using water and call. Tenants should let the landlord or agent know first.

How we clear it

We clear from the inspection shaft or nearest sensible access point, using a drain machine for a simple choke or the hydro jetter for roots, grease and sand. If the drain keeps coming back, the CCTV drain camera shows whether roots are getting in through a cracked joint and where. That helps a landlord decide between a repair and clearing it now and then. Jetting won’t fix a broken pipe, and we’ll be straight about any repair we don’t do ourselves.

If the blockage turns out to be in Water Corporation’s main, normally outside the property, it’s theirs to clear and we report it. Blockages within the property plumbing are the owner’s responsibility.

Suburbs we cover here: Mirrabooka, Balga, Nollamara, Westminster, Yokine, Dianella, Menora and Coolbinia.

Common questions

I rent in Westminster and the toilet is backing up. What do I do?: Tell your landlord or property manager straight away, in writing if you can. Consumer Protection WA treats sewerage as an essential service, and the landlord has 24 hours to organise the repair. If sewage is overflowing, call Water Corporation on 13 13 75 too. We take work orders from landlords and agents.
Why do drains in older Yokine and Dianella homes keep blocking?: Most often it’s roots from established trees getting into an old house drain through a crack or joint. We clear it, and a drain camera shows where they’re getting in, so you can decide whether that section needs repairing.
Who pays for a blocked drain in a rental?: Usually the owner, because roots in an old line or a failed pipe aren’t the tenant’s fault. If the tenant caused it, for example by flushing wipes, the landlord may be able to charge it back. We describe the cause on the invoice.
Do you clear blocked drains in Nollamara townhouses?: Yes. Townhouses on a subdivided block often share a line before it reaches the sewer, so tell us if your neighbours are having trouble too. If there’s a strata manager, give us their details when you book.
Who pays if the blockage is in the sewer main?: Blockages in your property plumbing are the owner’s responsibility. If it’s in Water Corporation’s main, normally outside the property, Water Corporation clears it. If we find it there, we call them in.

Nearby

Blocked drain and plumber pages for the areas next to this one.

How we clear drains here.

Official sources

Last updated 15 October 2026. General information only. Every property is different, so call us to talk about yours.

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