Building over assets and easements

An easement is a section of private property with a water main or sewerage pipe running through it. If you have an easement on your property, you’ll see it on your property title. Easements let us use this land, even though we don’t own it.

An asset is equipment or infrastructure, such as pipes or sewers. Our assets may be on, or under, your property.

We’re legally allowed to access easements and assets on your property. Sometimes we need to access them to repair or maintain pipes. We also need 24-hour access to all sewer and water assets, even if they’re located on your property. You’ll need to keep this in mind when you plan to build.

You’ll need our approval to build some structures over our assets or within our easements. A structure can include:

• Sheds and carports.
• Fences and retaining walls.
• Garden beds, trees and landscaping (including cutting or filling).
• Paving, decking and verandas.
• Tanks and pools.

1. Confirm the location of assets. Visit our page on locating our assets.
2. Confirm the location of easements. To find out if there are easements on your property check your property title. 
3. We don’t allow property owners to build a structure:
   • Over an easement.
   • Within one metre of a sewer, roof water harvesting pipe, or the wall of a maintenance structure.
   • Within two metres of where a property sewer drain enters a property from an external sewer, or within two metres of the property sewer drain connection point on a sewer.
   • Within three metres of a water main or sewerage rising main.
   • That restricts access to one of our assets unless we’ve approved a Build-Over Agreement
4. Read our Quick Reference Guide to find out whether your application may be considered for approval.