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Sewer Blockage Procedure I N F O R M A T I O N F O R P L U M B E R S

When a blockage is identified in the sewer House Connection Branch (HCB) we will review the issue and in some circumstances:

Provide reimbursement for Coliban Water Inducted Contractors of reasonable

costs up to $250 (GST Excl)

Provide authorisation over the phone for Coliban Water Inducted Contractors to

clear the HCB.

Sewer blockage call-out procedure

When you have identified a blockage in the

HCB please call our Customer Support Team

on 1300 363 200 before starting any work on

our assets or within our network.

We may give you permission to clear the

blockage in the HCB by providing a unique

authorisation number over the phone during

business hours when:

o You have attended the site and not

diagnosed over the phone

o The blockage is located in the HCB

o The blockage can be cleared without any excavation

o You are a Coliban Water Inducted Contractor.

If authorisation is provided you may be able to claim reimbursement up to $250 (GST

Excl) for reasonable costs incurred in identifying, locating or clearing a blockage.

If authorisation is not provided, you may claim reasonable costs up to a maximum of

$250 (GST Excl) for confirming the Customer House Drain was clear and identifying a

blockage in the HCB.

We will attend to blockages in the HCB in the below circumstances and therefore

authorisation will not be provided when:

o Excavations are required to resolve the issue

o If a property has had a similar issue in the HCB within the previous six months

or a history of repeated issues in the HCB.

We expect it would take no more than two hours to determine the location and cause of

a blockage and to advise our Customer Support Team.

Crews working within our region

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Claiming reimbursement

When you have identified, or been

authorised to clear, a blockage you will be

able to apply for reimbursement up to

$250 (GST Excl). To claim reimbursement

please follow the steps below:

1. Register your business’ account

details. Complete the Supplier

Electronic Payment Details form if

you have not already done so.

You can return the completed

form in person at 37-45 Bridge Street, Bendigo, via mail to PO Box 2770

Bendigo DC VIC 3554 or email to coliban@coliban.com.au this will help us

reimburse you in a timely manner and you only need to do this once.

2. Receive a unique authorisation number. When you call our CustomerSupport Team after identifying a HCB blockage and before starting work on theHCB we will give you a unique authorisation number. You will need to callduring business hours and use the unique authorisation number to claimreimbursement later.

3. Complete our Reimbursement Claim for Sewer Works online form. Toclaim reasonable costs up to $250 (GST Excl) complete the form online atwww.coliban.com.au> Online Forms> Contractors> Sewer BlockageReimbursement.

Remember, you will need the unique authorisation number to invoice Coliban Water for reimbursement (not the property owner).

When you have lodged the Reimbursement Claim for Sewer Works online form we will review it and if approved we will finalise your reimbursement within 14 days.

We will not provide reimbursement in the following circumstances:

If you have not contacted Coliban Water when you were on site attending to asewer drain issue

If you have not received a unique authorisation number

For any and all work which relates to work on a private sewer drain

For any CCTV work in determining the location of the blockage

For exposing and raising the Inspection Opening surface fitting in compliancewith the Victorian Building Authority (VBA)

For installation of an Inspection Opening to comply with the VBA

For general accessories such as high pressure jet cleaners, excavator hire etc.

You are not a Coliban Water Inducted Contractor.

Crews working on the sewer network

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Coliban Water Contractor Induction

If you would like to become a Coliban Water Inducted Contractor please complete the Supplier Electronic Payment Details form for your business. You can return the completed form in person at 37-45 Bridge Street, Bendigo, via mail to PO Box 2770 Bendigo DC VIC 3554 or email to coliban@coliban.com.au

Your business only needs to complete the form once.

Inspection Shafts and Openings

Inspection Shafts and Inspection Openings are an important part of a property's sewer pipe system. They provide an access point for you or our crews to service the Customer House Drain and HCB in the event of any blockages. They are also a requirement under the National Plumbing and Drainage Code.

We recommend that property owners install an Inspection Shaft on any property that does not have an accessible Inspection Opening. This will improve the maintenance processes for the drain and sewer connection.

We suggest that you explain the benefits of Inspection Shafts to property owners. Installing an Inspection Opening on any property that does not have an access point improves the ability to maintain the Customer House Drain and HCB. This benefits the property owner, plumbers and Coliban Water.

If a property already has an Inspection Opening please ensure it meets regulations. Remember any works and costs incurred by installing or raising Inspection Openings is the responsibility of the property owner.

Property Owner Responsibility

The property owner is responsible for:

Taking all reasonable steps to maintain the Customer House Drains and keepthem in good working order including:

o Ensuring the Overflow Relief Gully meets plumbing standards

o Inspection Openings meets plumbing standards and are not obstructed

Parts of the Customer House Drain assembly that are not Coliban Water assetsas detailed in the Sewer Pipe Maintenance Responsibilities diagrams

Maintaining the Combined Connection located on another serviced propertyand the extended Customer House Drain not within a road.

Please see the Sewer Pipe Maintenance Responsibilities diagrams over the page for visual examples of areas of responsibility.

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Sewer Pipe Maintenance Responsibilities

In 2014 the Water (Estimation, Supply and Sewerage) Regulations 2014 and the Water (Trade Waste) Regulations 2014 replaced the Water Industry Regulations 2006. These regulation changes extended the area of Coliban Water’s responsibility in the sewer network. Below is a visual representation of different types of sewer connections and how the areas of responsibility apply.

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Frequently Asked Questions What has changed?

The main difference is that under the old procedure plumbers were not authorised to work in the

HCB. Under the new procedure when a plumber identifies a blockage in the HCB they may be

able to clear the blockage and claim reimbursement for reasonable costs up to $250 (GST

Excl). The plumber needs to attend the site and call us before doing any work so we can review

the circumstances and provide a unique authorisation number.

Why has the procedure been updated?

The change is part of our efforts to improve efficiency and customer service. There are two key

benefits to the new procedure:

More local plumbers will have the opportunity to work in the HCB which should increase

earning opportunities for plumbers working in the Coliban Water region.

Some customers will have the sewer blockage impacting on their property cleared on

the spot by a plumber, rather than waiting for our crews to assess the blockage.

Can I claim the reimbursement if I did not contact Coliban Water before starting work?

If you do not call us before starting work on the HCB you cannot claim reimbursement for

reasonable costs up to $250 (GST Excl.). In this case we would presume you did not call us

before starting work because you determined the blockage was located in the Customer House

Drain.

What if I did not call Coliban Water before starting work because I thought the blockage was in the Customer House Drain?

As soon as you suspect a blockage is located in the HCB please call our Customer Support

Team on 1300 363 200 during business hours and we will review the circumstances of the

works.

Can I bill the customer and they can claim the reimbursement?

No, you should invoice us and complete our Sewer Blockage Reimbursement online form to

apply for reimbursement of reasonable costs up to $250 (GST Excl.). Remember to have your

unique authorisation number that we gave you when you called and your account details

nearby. You will need to bill the customer for all works associated with private plumbing or

Inspection Shafts and Openings.

Why am I not allowed to excavate and claim reimbursement?

We will not authorise works that involve excavation because it poses a risk to our assets and

raises safety concerns. Only Coliban Water crews are permitted to use excavation while

working on our assets.

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Can I claim reimbursement for installing or raising an Inspection Shaft?

No, but we encourage you to consider installing or raising an Inspection Shaft because it enables fast diagnosis and benefits the customer. Remember that all works and associated costs to install or ensure Inspection Shafts and Openings meet regulations are the customer’s responsibility. What happens if I call outside of business hours?

At this stage we are not able to provide you with a unique authorisation number outside of

business hours. Without a unique authorisation number you cannot claim reimbursement.

What is a Coliban Water Inducted Contractor?

A Coliban Water Inducted Contractor means that as a plumber you may be authorised to work in our HCB and able to claim reimbursement for reasonable costs (up to $250 GST Excl.). How do I apply to be a Coliban Water Inducted Contractor?

You need to register your details with us through our Supplier Electronic Payment Details form and we will send you more information about the process. You can return the completed form in person at 37-45 Bridge Street, Bendigo, via mail to PO Box 2770 Bendigo DC VIC 3554 or email to coliban@coliban.com.au. What if I only want to claim reimbursement for identifying a blockage in the HCB, do I need to be Coliban Water Inducted Contractor?

No, you only need to be Coliban Water Inducted Contractor to work in the HCB because it is in our section of the sewer network. Does being a Coliban Water Inducted Contractor mean I can work in the sewer main and open manholes?

No, Coliban Water Inducted Contractors can only work in the HCB when they have called our Customer Support Team and been given permission and a unique authorisation number. Only our crews are allowed to work in sewer mains and manholes. Is this change permanent?

This change is permanent unless legislation changes in the future or there is a reason or future

change. We will regularly review the procedure to identify any process improvements for

plumbers, customers and Coliban Water. We will seek feedback from plumbers and customers

as part of these reviews.

What area of the sewer network is Coliban Water’s responsibility?

Please see the Sewer Pipe Maintenance Responsibilities diagrams for examples of areas of responsibility.

More information For more information please visit our Sewer Blockages page at www.coliban.com.au and click on the link to Water and Wastewater and then Wastewater or call our Customer Support Team on 1300 363 200.

Coliban Water reserves the right to change these procedures in accordance with the prescribed regulations from time to time without prior notification and to review each case in accordance with the prescribed regulations.

Disclaimer: Information contained in this document was correct at the time of printing (or publication) (June 2017).

Coliban Water reserves the right to alter information at any time. © (2017) Coliban Water.