Everything underground is guesswork until you put a camera in it. The camera is what turns "it is probably roots" into "there are roots coming in through a cracked joint 11 metres from the inspection opening, under the driveway".
That distinction matters because it decides whether you need a clear, a repair, or nothing at all. It also decides whether the problem is on your property or in the council main, which decides who pays for it.
How a drain camera inspection works
- 01Clear enough to seeA pipe full of standing water and debris shows almost nothing, so in most cases the line is jetted first.
- 02Feed the camera inThe camera head goes in on a flexible rod through an inspection opening and is pushed along the line while the picture is watched on screen.
- 03Read the pipeMaterial, joint type, condition, fall, and anything that should not be there. Roots, cracks, displaced joints, sags holding water, foreign objects, and in older lines the general state of the bore.
- 04Mark the positionWhere a defect is found, the camera sonde and a locator give a position and a depth at ground level. That is what makes a targeted repair possible instead of an exploratory trench.
- 05Show you the footageYou see what we see. If we are recommending a repair, you should be able to look at the reason for it yourself.
What a drain camera finds
- Tree root intrusion
- Roots entering through a joint or a crack, and how much of the bore they have taken up.
- Cracked and fractured pipe
- Common in older earthenware, particularly under driveways and anywhere heavy vehicles cross a shallow line.
- Collapsed sections
- Where the pipe has failed completely and the ground above has started to move into it.
- Displaced or open joints
- Joints that have pulled apart through ground movement, which is how both roots and soil get in.
- Sags and back-falls
- Sections that hold water instead of draining, which then collect solids and block repeatedly.
- Foreign objects
- The things people genuinely did not think would end up in a drain, and occasionally the previous plumber tools.
- Build debris
- Sand, render, mortar and offcuts left in the line during construction, which is a common find in newer estates.
What the camera actually shows you
Root intrusion
Clear boreWhat a camera cannot tell you
A camera shows the inside of a pipe. It does not show what is happening in the ground around it, and it cannot see through standing water or a solid blockage, which is why clearing usually comes first.
It also does not measure pipe wall thickness or remaining structural life. What it gives you is an accurate picture of the condition and the position of any defect, which is enough to make a sensible decision about repair.
No word of a lie, Nathan and his team at Fair Dinkum Drainage are one of the best tradespeople I have ever come across. They went above and beyond when they came out on short notice to inspect and clear a blocked sewer drain in my unit. Throughout the entire process, they kept me informed with phone calls, messages, and photos and videos of the problems found and the recommended course of action.
Martin SzilvassyPleasant experience, efficient and professional. Although it was eventually discovered that drainage problem did originate from the public sewer line, John helped me to report and explain with the bodycorp, very considerable guy! Highly recommended.
William