The Problem
A Geelong West homeowner called Bay Plumbing & Drainage after their toilet stopped flushing properly. On the surface, it seemed like a simple blocked toilet, the kind of thing you might try to plunge yourself before calling a plumber.
But there were other signs something more serious was going on. Every fixture in the house was gurgling, and toilet paper was backing up out of the overflow relief gully (ORG) outside. That combination pointed to one thing: a main sewer blockage, not a localised toilet issue.
Service: Blocked Drains | CCTV Drain Inspection
Location: Geelong West
What We Found
Our team attended the property and carried out a comprehensive CCTV drain inspection, running the camera from the property’s drainage system all the way through to the boundary connection point.
What the camera revealed explained everything. The main sewer line had three significant problems contributing to the blockage:
- Tree root intrusion — roots had forced their way into the pipe, partially restricting flow
- Backfalling sections — parts of the drain were running in the wrong direction, causing waste to pool rather than flow freely to the sewer
- Damaged and cracked pipes — multiple areas of structural pipe damage that were compounding the blockage and would continue to cause problems over time
This wasn’t a blocked toilet. This was a drain system under serious stress.
What We Did
With the full picture from the CCTV camera inspection, our team deployed high-pressure drain jetting equipment to cut through the root intrusion and clear the obstruction along the main sewer line. Once the jetting was complete, every fixture in the home was tested to confirm the drainage system was flowing correctly.
A detailed Drainage Inspection Report was completed and the CCTV footage was recorded for the homeowner’s records. This kind of documentation is useful if insurance is involved, or if further repair works are quoted down the track.
The Result
Flow was fully restored on the day, and the homeowner had clarity on exactly what was going on beneath their property, something they absolutely didn’t have when they first called thinking it was just a blocked loo.
Given the extent of the root intrusion and pipe damage found during the inspection, we advised that further repairs or ongoing monitoring would be recommended to prevent the blockage from returning. The drainage report and footage provide a clear baseline for any future repair works, whether that’s pipe relining, targeted replacement, or scheduled maintenance jetting.
Got a blocked toilet in Geelong that won’t clear, or fixtures gurgling throughout the house? Don’t wait for it to get worse. Call Bay Plumbing & Drainage on 1300 625 633 or get in touch online.
