Updated October 2026
Coochiemudlo Island is the small, flat, close-in island off Victoria Point, with a permanent community, a heavily used foreshore and a short passenger ferry across the channel. It is also the one Redlands island that is connected to the sewer, which puts it in a different category from the rest. Redlands Blocked Drains is a local referral service. We put you in touch with QBCC-licensed local plumbers who work on Coochiemudlo Island.
Coochiemudlo is sewered
Redland City Council states that wastewater from the Coochiemudlo Island population is piped and treated at the Victoria Point wastewater treatment plant. That is unusual among the Redlands islands and it is the single most useful fact about drainage here, because it means the mainland diagnosis mostly applies.
One caution. Being a sewered locality does not mean every single property on the island is connected, and the council's own disaster preparedness material notes that on-site systems exist on islands generally. So check your own arrangement rather than assuming, and if you do have a tank, a pump or an alarm box, the septic and on-site wastewater page is the relevant one.
Why Coochiemudlo drains block
Treat the drainage profile as Victoria Point's, because that is effectively what it is.
Older jointed line. A good deal of the island's housing is old enough for jointed clay and earthenware sewer and stormwater pipe, laid in short sections with a joint every metre or so. Mature trees find the joints and root mats catch waste until the line blocks.
Flat, low, tidal ground. The island is low and almost entirely foreshore, so stormwater runs have very little fall and drop their sediment in the pipe. In a summer storm at high water, the system surcharges because it has nowhere to discharge. The surcharge page explains the difference between that and a blockage.
Salt and sand. Grates, gully risers, covers and older metal fittings corrode faster this close to the water, and fine sand washes into pits and settles in flat runs.
Holiday and part-time use. A share of the housing is used intermittently, so problems are often found late, and a dry gully trap in a house that has been empty for weeks will smell before it does anything else.
The council has run shoreline erosion management work on the island, and the Redland City Plan runs a coastal protection erosion prone areas overlay and a flood and storm tide hazard overlay. Those maps are the authority on any particular property, and work close to the water can attract extra assessment.
Getting a plumber here
Coochiemudlo is reached by a short passenger ferry from Victoria Point, with a vehicle barge for the jobs that need a vehicle. In practice that makes it the most accessible of the Redlands islands by a wide margin, and plumbers do work here regularly.
It is still a water crossing, so we will not promise you a time. What we will do is call you back promptly and tell you honestly when a plumber can get across. For a job that needs a jetter, a camera reel or an excavator, the vehicle barge has to be booked and that shapes the timing. For current barge bookings and fares, go to the operator at SeaLink. This site publishes no fare, because a state subsidy, an operator discount and a fuel surcharge all apply and the figures move.
The council's three-step test
Because Coochiemudlo is sewered, the council's own diagnostic applies here.
- One fixture slow and the rest of the house fine means the problem is most likely in your home's plumbing.
- The overflow relief gully overflowing while no water is being used on the property means the blockage is likely to be in the council's sewer main. Clear any obstruction, check the grate moves freely, then contact the council.
- An inspection opening that holds water or drains slowly while an indoor tap runs means contact the council. Dry means the house plumbing, so call a plumber.
The sewer mains in the sewered parts of the Redlands belong to Redland City Council, through its water and wastewater business, City Water (previously Redland Water). Your own drain line, from the house to the connection point, is yours. Where the main is the council's, a plumber has to confirm it and the blockage has to be reported immediately for a reference number. The full guide covers it.
What it costs
A standard clear typically costs $150 to $400. A camera inspection runs $249 to $600, or $350 to $900 with jetting. Relining typically runs $3,000 to $8,000 or more. If a plumber brings a vehicle across on the barge, that cost goes into the quote and they will say so. The cost guide sets out the ranges.
Frequently asked questions
Am I on the sewer or a septic system?
The island's wastewater is piped to the Victoria Point plant, so most properties are connected, but check yours. A tank lid, an inspection cover over a tank or a pump and alarm box on an outside wall means an on-site system.
How quickly can a plumber get here?
Faster than the other islands, because the passenger ferry is short and frequent. We still will not put a time on it, because anything needing a work vehicle needs a barge booking. The callback will tell you honestly.
Does the salt air affect my drains?
It affects the metal more than the pipe. Grates, risers, covers and older fittings wear out faster here, and that is worth checking while a plumber is on site.
My yard floods on a king tide. Is the drain blocked?
Probably not. On low foreshore ground that is surcharge rather than blockage. Rule out silt with a camera, then read the surcharge page.
The house has been empty for a month and it smells. Why?
Most likely a dry gully or floor waste trap, where the water seal has evaporated and sewer gas is coming back through. Running water into the traps often fixes it, and if it does not, it is worth having looked at.