Concreting, paving and landscaping around your property
New concreting and paving on your property can impact our assets, and our ability to access them in an emergency.
That’s why you need to have a building application approved by Icon Water before any work begins.
This information should be read together with the following pages:
Step 1: Find out what's in the ground
Once you have decided on the details of your proposed construction we recommend engaging a professional to develop a design and engineering drawings and submit them to us with an application for approval.
See What makes a good building plan (you can also submit your application from this page) for more information.
Step 2: Plan your concreting or paving
There are a few things you can do that help us access our assets without too much disruption to your finished work.
Concrete work
- Slabs must be no thicker than 100mm laid with grooved joints along the length of our pipe protection envelope (PPE) (see Where can I build on my property? for more about PPE).
- Joints must have a maximum spacing of three (3) metres along the pipe so we can easily replace them if we need to.
Note: Reinforced concrete slabs greater than 100mm in thickness must be designed (in consultation with Icon Water) in panels which bridge across the pipe protection envelope and are fitted with lifting lugs so we can remove them when access is required. Weight limits will apply. - Slabs and permanent structures must be separated by expansion joints so we can remove slabs without damaging adjacent structures.
Paving
We will generally only replace pavements we have removed to repair or replace water or sewer infrastructure, where pavements are:
- Made from concrete, cobblestones, brick, bituminous cement, reinforced concrete or other similarly priced materials readily available from local suppliers.
- Concrete slabs no more than 100mm thick.
In addition:
- We only reinstate damaged pavement panels up to the construction joint of the adjoining undamaged panel, or three (3) metres further than a damaged edge, whichever is less.
- We will make best efforts to reinstate ornamental finishes if they are mandated by planning authorities (e.g. stamped, stencilled, exposed aggregate or acid-etched, driveways), but we can’t guarantee material, colour or pattern matching if products have been superseded.
If the replacement pavement you are seeking costs more than the cost of the conditions above, you may need to contribute to the excess costs. You may also need to remove, or pay us to remove, pavement which does not comply with the conditions listed above.
Step 3: Plan your landscaping
Trees and large shrubs should be planted so that the mature canopy does not encroach into or over the pipe protection envelope of a sewer or water network.
Consultation with a plant nursery may be necessary when choosing trees and shrubs. Some plant species have very invasive and wide spreading root systems. These varieties should not be planted in close proximity to water or sewer networks. The land holder may be required to remove trees and plants which obstruct access to Icon Water’s assets.
Step 4: Make plans to avoid ponding and trip hazards
Make sure your proposal won’t cause water to pond over surface fittings. When stormwater and surface water runs into our sewer mains it significantly increases our costs, which we need to recover through your water and sewerage bills.
Make sure you don’t create a trip hazard when removing topsoil around surface fittings.
Step 5: Prepare and submit an Icon Water building application
Once you have decided on the details of your proposed construction we recommend engaging a professional to develop a design and engineering drawings and submit them to us with an application for approval.
See What makes a good building plan (you can also submit your application from this page) for more information.
Following these steps will help your project run smoothly.
We’re always happy to help
For general queries, you can contact us directly at talktous@iconwater.com.au. Our team will do their best to respond within 24 hours.
If you need a bit more assistance, or just prefer talking to a person, you can call us on 02 6248 3111 (select option 3).