Goin' Down the Drain

An allegory could be made but, surprisingly, this isn't about last week's US election.
This is about drains, pure and simple...

Well, OK! Skip the pure bit. Our drains are a bit of a labyrinth, with no less than 5 households involved (prospective buyers of older dwellings take note!), and have been giving us intermittent trouble over the last 4-5 years. In the past, the suspicion has been a pen that some inquisitive junior has flushed away.

Things came to a head again (literally) a couple of weeks ago when it blocked up just before we went away for the weekend. Ominous gurgles from the latrine... you get to know the sound. One plumber call, and a few shekels later, and things seemed much improved...

However, the theme continued when we arrived at the place we were staying. the toilet was in a dark little room, with a noisy exhaust and an even noisier flush. The blockage, this time, was Little Missy, who categorically refused to use the 'noisy toilet', and reverted to disposable nappies.

Sea, sand, and a badly soiled nappy => 1 bad case of nappy rash. Other than that, a good time was had by all.

Meanwhile, at the drains back home: we get another blockage a week later (and again, with near perfect timing, on an evening just before a public holiday: Melbourne Cup, all those horses must mean something..!). Ominous latrine gurglings don't make a good accompinament to supper.
This time, the blockage was further down, into council territory (but the plumber decided to trespass for the common good). He recommended that we get a camera in to inspect the pipe, as the drop had a suspicious flex in it, and there could be a break. Haven't done it yet.

Now flash forward to last weekend. Having installed a couple of rainwater tanks in response to the drought that's been ongoing for the last few years, we have been experiencing a veritable deluge for the last week or two. I noticed that water was pouring out of the top of both tanks => the overflow was blocked. I investigated at the weekend during an unusual dry spell and, yes, some scum had clogged up the mesh. Clearing it was just a matter of rubbing one's finger across the mesh. Worked for the second tank too, except... what's all this water gushing 'round my feet?
Turns out that the stormwater drain to the street was also blocked solid by a meter or two of earth that has built up over who knows how many years! Shoved a broomstick up as far as I could, and still no joy. Looks like a job for a high pressure hose.