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How to maintain overflow relief gully?

In this first photo is the ORG for my home and another small round grate that I assume is connected to overflow drains in the floor of my laundry, toilets and bathrooms. These are flush with the paving around my home and there are three of them all in close proximity to wet rooms. I discovered the third while levelling some pavers. The pavers covered the grate. At the bottom of these is a horizontal PVC pipe that terminates at 45 degrees (refer second photo). I’m guessing that these may lead to sink wells?

My questions: 1. Are they connected to wet rooms overflowing floor drains? 2. Do they need to be cleared of debris (they fill quite frequently)? 3. Do they lead to sink wells? 4. Is there anything I should be going to maintain them?

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MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @TPRetiree. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about drainage.

From your photos and description, the grates you’ve found are likely also overflow relief gullies connected to wet areas like bathrooms, laundries, or toilets. Their purpose is to provide an outlet if floor drains back up, helping prevent flooding inside your home. They should be kept clear of debris, as leaves, dirt, and paving can block them and reduce flow. They probably don’t lead to sink wells directly, but instead connect to your wastewater system via the horizontal PVC pipe you mentioned. Regularly clearing the grates and flushing with a hose can help, but to fully understand how these drains are connected and map the system, you’d likely need a plumber to explore them with a camera.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

TPRetiree

Mitchell,

Many thanks for taking the time to reply.

Tom

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