Blocked drains can be disruptive and expensive to investigate in an apartment building. Shared pipes, limited access and uncertainty about responsibility can make a simple blockage more difficult to resolve.
This guide covers what should stay out of your toilet and drains, how to dispose of common household items and what to do when a shared drain is blocked.
What should you not flush down the toilet in an apartment?
As a practical household rule, use the toilet only for toilet paper and human waste. Put other items in the bin, even when they are small or labelled as convenient for bathroom use.
Do not flush:
- Wet wipes, including cosmetic, cleaning and baby wipes
- Nappies and nappy liners
- Sanitary products and other hygiene products
- Paper towels and tissues
- Hair and dental floss
- Cotton buds and similar bathroom items
- Medicines and pharmaceutical products
Keep a small, lined bin in the bathroom so these items have an easy alternative. This is particularly useful in apartments, where access to drainage infrastructure may be difficult and plumbing work can affect more than one lot.
Wet wipes, nappies and hygiene products should go in the bin. Do not rely on packaging claims when deciding whether an item belongs in the toilet.
You can read more practical body corporate maintenance information in our body corporate maintenance factsheet.
What can go down a kitchen sink?
The safest approach is to keep solid waste out of the kitchen sink. Food scraps, coffee grounds and tea leaves should go in the bin or compost, subject to your local council’s collection arrangements.
A sink strainer can catch small scraps before they enter the drain. Empty the strainer into the appropriate waste container rather than rinsing the contents down the sink.
Before washing greasy cookware, wipe the excess from the pan with paper or a suitable cloth and place it in the bin. This reduces the amount of residue entering the drain.
Do not use the kitchen sink as a disposal point for household waste. A body corporate can provide residents with clear waste-disposal guidance about what belongs in the bin, what can be recycled and how to deal with items that need a special drop-off service.
If your scheme is in Brisbane, Council’s recycling information explains which materials can go in the yellow bin and identifies resource recovery centres for many household items. Check your local council’s instructions if you live elsewhere. You can also read our guide to recycling in a body corporate.
Where should wet wipes, nappies and hygiene products go?
Wet wipes, nappies and hygiene products belong in a general waste bin unless your local council provides different instructions for a particular item.
Do not put these products in a yellow recycling bin unless the council specifically says they are accepted. Keep used products wrapped or contained and place them in the appropriate household waste bin.
Owners and tenants should receive the same information. A simple notice in a building information area, move-in material or waste room can help prevent confusion. Committees can also ask their body corporate manager to include disposal expectations in resident communications.
The body corporate’s rules can regulate what owners and other people living in the scheme can and cannot do. Occupiers must not use a lot or common property in a way that causes a nuisance or hazard, or unreasonably interferes with another lot or common property.
How should you dispose of cooking oil, chemicals and medicines?
Allow cooking fat to cool, then scrape it into the bin where appropriate. Store larger amounts of used oil in a sealed container and check your local council’s advice about recycling or disposal options. Do not pour oil or grease into the sink.
Wipe greasy pans before washing them. This small step can help reduce waste entering the kitchen drain.
Do not pour paint, bleach, cleaning chemicals or other chemical products down a sink or toilet. Read the product label and contact your local council about the correct disposal option for leftover paint and chemicals.
Medicines and pharmaceutical products should not be flushed. Ask a pharmacy or your local council about an authorised disposal pathway rather than placing them in the toilet or sink.
Disposal services and recycling arrangements vary between councils. Check the relevant local guidance before placing an item in a bin or taking it to a collection point. Brisbane residents can use Council’s recycling tool and resource recovery centre information to check available options.
What should a body corporate do about recurring blocked drains?
Start by recording the reports, locations and dates of the blockages. The committee should avoid assuming that every blockage is the responsibility of the body corporate or that all owners must share the cost.
In Queensland, responsibility depends on the boundaries of the lots and common property, the registered plan of subdivision and the regulation module applying to the scheme. The survey plan and community management statement can help identify these matters.
The body corporate must maintain common property in good and structurally sound condition, while a lot owner must maintain their lot in good condition. An owner may be liable if poor maintenance of their lot causes damage to another lot or common property.
For recurring problems, the committee can:
- Ask a suitably qualified plumber to investigate the cause and location
- Keep invoices, reports, photographs and resident communications
- Confirm whether the affected pipe serves a lot, common property or both
- Review waste-disposal communications and improve them where needed
- Take advice before deciding how costs should be allocated
For more information about maintenance responsibilities, see keeping common property free of hazards.
Who should you contact when a shared drain is blocked?
Report a suspected shared drain blockage promptly to your body corporate manager, committee or the contact listed for urgent maintenance. Include the affected lot or area, what has happened and whether there is leaking water, an odour or an immediate safety concern.
Do not arrange major work on common property without confirming who has authority to approve it, unless urgent action is needed to prevent further damage. The body corporate administers and manages common property for the benefit of owners, and makes decisions through general meetings and the committee.
If the issue appears to be caused by another occupier’s ongoing conduct, try to resolve it with them first, preferably in writing. Queensland guidance recommends self-resolution before other dispute resolution steps, and conciliation may be available if self-resolution fails.
Keeping waste out of toilets and sinks, giving residents clear disposal guidance and reporting shared drain problems early can help your community manage blockages more effectively. If you need help coordinating maintenance or resident communications, contact our team at reception@stratacare.com.au.
