Legal point of discharge

What is the legal point of discharge?

The legal point of discharge is a point specified by Council where stormwater from a property must be discharged. This point is usually Council's stormwater drain, where available, or street kerb and channel.

Council is regularly asked to provide direction on the legal point of discharge for both existing properties and the redevelopment of residential, commercial and industrial developments.

You can apply for a legal point of discharge report from Council, which provides the location to which the stormwater drainage discharge from your land must be directed.

Your building surveyor must consider this report before issuing a building permit.

Please note that Council does not keep records of stormwater pipes around homes and this report does not provide a plan of stormwater drains on your land.

Fee

A legal point of discharge application incurs a fee. This fee is reviewed yearly.

The 2020-21 fee for the legal point of discharge report from Council is $144.70.

How to apply for the legal point of discharge report

What you need

• A site plan is optional.

Apply online

1. Register with Council Online Services. As a registered user, you don't need to re-enter your personal information and can keep track of requests and applications on any device.
2. Apply for a legal point of discharge report . You need to sign in to Council Online Services to apply.
3. As part of the online application process, the fee is paid online by Visa or MasterCard.

Apply for a legal point of discharge report

Apply by post or in person

1. Complete the Legal Point of Discharge Report application form (DOC 673Kb). (DOC 673Kb)
2. Attach required documents to your application with the fee.
3. Post the application and fee to Engineering Services, Merri-bek City Council, Locked Bag 10, Merri-bek VIC 3058, or deliver in person to the Merri-bek Civic Centre, 90 Bell Street, Coburg.

What happens after you apply

If you apply online, you will receive a report from Council by email within 5 working days.

If you apply by post or in person, you will receive the report within 10 working days of Council receiving your application. If you provide your email address, you will receive the report by email. Otherwise, a report will be posted to you.

Council officers refer to maps and plans of the area, land contours and proximity to stormwater pits and drains in preparing a legal point of discharge report.

Onsite stormwater detention system

The legal point of discharge report may call for development drainage plans for those developments which require an onsite stormwater detention system (OSD). Council must approve these plans.

The drainage design criteria for developments assists in designing the drainage system for an onsite stormwater detention system.

Council recommends you refer to the checklists and guidelines in this document when preparing the plans:

• Drainage design criteria for developments (PDF 1Mb)
• Drainage design criteria for developments (DOC 2Mb)