# Forum Home Renovation Landscaping, Gardening & Outdoors  Sewer access hole thingo in the backyard

## Nick - Pie Man

I've just read a thread a bit lower down on this page about some dude who has raised the level of his backyard and covered the sewer access thingo. 
Someone said something about not being able to cover that thing up? 
What's the deal with that? Since when could we not do whatever we wanted with our own property? 
I ask because I have one of those things in my backyard, and I am planning my gardens etc (new home) and obviously if I am going to break the law I want to do it with intent, not through ignorance. 
This access sewer thing is smack bang in the middle of a small backyard, and the land kind of slopes down towards it from every direction. When it rains, the water pools up in the vincinity of this concrete cap.

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## r3nov8or

Of course you bought the place in full knowledge of all the easements, covenants and local by-laws including ongoing access to government facilities and property, and your obligation to maintain the facilities and grant the access..

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## Nick - Pie Man

No I didn't. Just because the law assumes I have to make the paperwork easier, doesn't mean I have. That's why I'm asking the question. What is this easement you speak of and what can I not do to my own property?

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## NickH

*Q: What is an easement?* 
An easement is a section of land registered on your property title, which gives someone the right to use the land for a specific purpose even though they are not the land owner. An example is a shared driveway. There are also certain statutory easements which are not registered on your title, such as power or telephone lines, or drainage easements. 
If you wish to build over a statutory easement, you will need to get consent from your local council. For other easements, you will need to get consent from whoever the easement is vested in. 
When selling a property, it is important that you disclose any easements on the contract documents. If in the process of buying a property, make sure you do a title search before the exchange of contracts so you can be sure that the seller has properly disclosed any easements that may be on the title.
The important thing about easements is to be aware of them, and know the terms of any which affect your property, so contact your lawyer to be sure.

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## Godzilla73

G'day, 
Are you talking about your own sewer inspection point which is about 450mm in diameter or the Melbourne water jobbie that's usually in the back corner and about 1200mm across that they throw some poor bloke down once in a blue moon? 
You can't cover the Melbourne water cover with much more than mulch i was told as they only have to give 24 hrs notice for access. Do whatever you like to your own inspection opening, just have gumboots handy when it backs up and you need to wade down the back to move the bird bath...

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## stevoh741

cover away. Won't be a problem till council want access......which may or may not happen while you live there  :Shock:

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## nealandange

> cover away. Won't be a problem till council want access......which may or may not happen while you live there

  Doing this will cause all manner of potential problems, including the flooding of your own property with stormwater, if your lucky...and raw sewage if you ain't. 
This lids are an intergral part of underground pipe networks as they allow access for cleaning, inspection, etc 
Cover the manhole (access chamber for the PC) at your own peril. If your local authority needs access they will destroy your garden to do so. 
In Hobart we will alter the level for owner at no cost as we found this a better option than charging to do so...most will cover the manhole if the have to pay and it costs more to locate and raise it at a later date. 
The other option is to incorporate the lid into your landscaping - the make a good base for a large moveable pot, compost bin or similar

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## martrix

yep, cover away. But first make sure you hope inside before you do so...seriously.

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## bookleaf

Here is SA there are 2 types of these "Square (or Round!) inspection thingies".  The shapes and size may differ depending on the installing plumber, but their purpose is to gain access to the sewer pipes, 
The first one is where the sewer pipes connects to the mains sewer and is used by the authorities to clean any blockages the may occur between this Inspection Point (main IP) and the mains sewer, or in the mains sewer itself.  They have absolute right of access to this Main IP, 24 Hrs a day and if it is not accessible at ground level (as it should be) they will dig until they find it and too bad about your greenery/wall/path that may have been placed on top of it.  This IP will generally be with-in a designated easement as shown on your land planes.  There are strict rules as to what you can and can not build and plant on a sewer easement. 
The second type are also IPs and have been placed in your house main sewer line by the sewer installing plumber per the local laws. There may be more than one.  In my place there are 2, each just on the down side of the 2 bends on my main sewer run. These IPs are also for access the the pipes, but this time by your designated plumber so he can unblock any blockage within your property.  The authorities will not normally access these IPs, as all work upstream of the main IP is the owners responsibility. 
So as others have said, go ahead and cover these up if you wish, but it is extremely unwise to do so.  If you wish to build over any of them, check with the authorities and/or a plumber first to find out what you can and can not do.  If they need to be raised (or lowered) to a new level because of any works, then this must be done by a registered plumber.

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## chrisp

I'm not wishing to enter a debate on this one, but I can offer the following secondhand story: 
Friend's of mine rented a place in Melbourne.  There was, unknown to them, an inspection pit in their rented backyard.  It was covered deep in a raised garden bed. 
They got a letter stating the sewage people required access and they'd be arriving on a particular date.  They let them in having no idea what they were looking for.  The sewage people worked out where the pit cover was and dug down it it.  They did whatever they do in these things and left.  I think they recovered it afterwards. 
I'd be guessing, but I suspect that as long as you don't actually build over the pit, you'd probably get away with covering it with soil.

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## Nick - Pie Man

So if there's a blockage down the line does that mean that I would get sewage spewing out of this thing? 
It looks like I will be incorporating this thing into my landscaping .. shame they decided to bung it right in the middle of the garden. If it was against a fence it would be so much easier.

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