NSW Plumbing Licence 456767C
Sewer Pump Services operates under a current NSW plumbing contractor licence — licensed plumbing and drainage work, on record.
Sydney's sewer & stormwater pump specialists
Two generations of pump specialists
Founded in 1985 by Stuart Opperman and now run with his son Ayden, Sewer Pump Services specialises in sewer and stormwater pumps. A plumbing trade going back to 1985, narrowed to pump specialism around 2010. Based in the Sutherland Shire, servicing all of Sydney.
SINCE 1985 Trading in Sydney
PUMP FOCUS Sewer & stormwater specialists
ALL OF SYDNEY Serviced from the Sutherland Shire
The story
The business started in 1985 when Stuart founded Pro Plumbing — a full-service plumbing operation built on the kind of workmanship and honest dealing that keeps clients on the books for decades.
For years that's how it ran — general plumbing across Sydney, a steady residential and strata client base. Pumps became a growing part of the work over time. The business was being called out to fix sewer pump installs done badly by other plumbers more and more — undersized pumps, dodgy electrical, leaky pits, alarms that never worked properly. The same problems on different properties, again and again.
Around 2010 a deliberate decision was made: scale back the general work and focus on the part of the trade where the depth of experience was strongest. Sewer and stormwater pumps. Today the business trades as Sewer Pump Services under Pro Plumbing & Pumps Pty Ltd — the same family operation, narrowed down to what most plumbers won't: a genuine specialty.
Ayden Opperman, Stuart's son, joined the business at 18 straight out of school and now runs the day-to-day operation. Stuart is still actively involved — still on the tools, still on jobs across Sydney, with the trade experience that goes right back to 1985 behind the operation. The trade gets passed down the way it should: working it on the job, not reading about it.
Two generations on the job
What it actually looks like — both Oppermans, in pits, doing the work.
Why pumps specifically
Pumps look simple from the outside but the difference between a pump that fails in six months and one that runs its full lifespan comes down to detail. Pit thickness. Whether the lid actually seals against gas. The right pump matched to the property load. Discharge pipework that doesn't trap grease. An isolation valve so future servicing doesn't mean shutting the whole system down.
Most general plumbers do a few pump jobs a year. We do them every day. That difference shows up in installs that don't need redoing — and in the work we get called out to fix on properties where someone else cut corners.
If a property needs a pump, we want to be the ones who do it right the first time. That's the whole reason we narrowed the business down.
What we believe
The principles that have kept clients coming back — and referring their neighbours — since 1985.
01
Fix it once, fix it right
If we install or replace a pump, we want it running its full service life — not failing in six months. That means proper sizing, proper pit, proper electrical and proper certification. Get it right the first time and there's no second visit, no callbacks, no fix-it-later for the next plumber to inherit.
02
Specialist depth, not surface knowledge
Sewer and stormwater pumps are our specialty. Across brands, configurations, and the fault patterns Sydney throws at pumps — we've seen the range. That depth means faster diagnosis, the right part on the truck, fewer return visits.
03
Honest advice — every time
If your pump doesn't need replacing, we'll tell you. If a repair makes more sense, we'll tell you. We'd rather talk you out of an unnecessary install than push you into one and burn the long-term relationship.
04
You talk to the people doing the work
No call centre. No rotating technicians. No admin layer between you and the people doing the work. When you call, you're reaching the same operation that's been running this trade since 1985 — Stuart, Ayden, or both depending on the job. The continuity is the point.
Want to talk it through?
Pick up the phone — we'll tell you straight what you're dealing with, even if you're better off without a quote.
Credentials and licensing
The paperwork that backs the work — and what most general plumbers don't have.
AS/NZS 3500 standards
Plumbing and drainage work is carried out to the AS/NZS 3500 standard family — the benchmark for compliant work across Sydney.
Restricted Electrical Licence — Motors
Issued by NSW Fair Trading under the disconnect/reconnect framework (UEERL0004). We connect the pump and alarm, set up the control panel and fit the overload protection ourselves; your electrician runs the supply.
Confined Space Entry certified
Statement of Attainment from Pinnacle Safety and Training (RTO 40496). Deep pits and confined spaces are part of the trade — most residential pits never need it, but when one does, we're set up for it.
Fully insured
Public liability and workers compensation cover in place across all work, with certificates of currency available on request.
Specialist focus since 1985
A plumbing trade since 1985, focused on sewer and stormwater pumps since 2010 — the work we do day in, day out, not a sideline. You deal with the same operators from first call through to commissioning.
Where we work
Based in the Sutherland Shire. Servicing all of greater Sydney.
Sutherland Shire
Cronulla · Caringbah · Sutherland · Miranda · Bundeena · Burraneer · Lilli Pilli · Yowie Bay · Sylvania Waters · Como · Woolooware · Kangaroo Point
Northern Beaches
Manly · Mosman · Dee Why · Brookvale · Freshwater · Curl Curl · Collaroy · Whale Beach · Palm Beach
Lower North Shore
Cammeray · Longueville · Hunters Hill · Lane Cove · Northbridge · Chatswood
Eastern Suburbs
Bondi · Randwick · Coogee · Maroubra · Vaucluse
Inner West
Newtown · Marrickville · Leichhardt · Ashfield
Greater Sydney
Not listed? Call us — we cover all of metropolitan Sydney for installation, replacement and emergency work.
About us — FAQs
What people want to know before they call.
Who actually does the work on my property?
Stuart and Ayden — both trained specialists working together on most jobs. The business operates under NSW Plumbing Licence 456767C, with additional licensed help brought in when a larger install needs more hands on site. What we don't do is sub the work out to general plumbers, run rotating technicians through your property, or hide behind a call centre.
How long have you been doing pumps specifically?
The business started general plumbing in 1985. Over time, pumps became a bigger and bigger part of the work — and around 2010 we narrowed our focus to sewer and stormwater pump systems. So a plumbing trade going back to 1985, with the pump-specialist focus established around 2010.
What if I just want honest advice — not a sales pitch?
That's exactly the kind of call we'd rather take. We'll tell you straight whether your pump genuinely needs replacing, whether a repair makes more sense, or whether the issue isn't the pump at all. Ring us with a few photos of the pit, the alarm panel, the affected area — we can often work out what's going on over the phone in a couple of minutes and save you time before any quote is on the table. We'd rather talk you out of an unnecessary install than push you into one and lose the long-term relationship.
Do you work with strata buildings and property managers?
Yes — strata and managed buildings are a core part of what we do. Long-term maintenance, scheduled servicing, dual pump systems, alarm panels, after-hours emergency response. Strata managers value working with one specialist contact rather than coordinating multiple trades, and we've built long-running relationships across Sydney on that basis.
Are you fully insured?
Yes. Sewer Pump Services trades as Pro Plumbing & Pumps Pty Ltd (ACN 671 815 777) and carries the full insurance cover required for licensed plumbing and electrical work in NSW — public liability, professional indemnity, and workers' compensation. Certificates of currency are available on request, including for strata managers and builders who need them as part of contractor onboarding.
How quickly can you come out?
Depends on what the call is. For after-hours emergencies — burst alarms, sewage backups, pump failure on a strata building — we aim to get there fast and prioritise based on the consequence of waiting. For scheduled servicing, repairs, and quotes, we book in a date and time that works for both of us. Either way, you're calling the people who'll actually be on site.
Do you charge for a quote?
For installation and replacement work we come out and assess the site before quoting, so you get a proper number for the job rather than a guess. For straightforward repair callouts we work on per-visit pricing — no subscriptions, no auto-renewals. If you ring with photos of the pit, the alarm panel, and what you're dealing with, we can often give you a useful sense of things over the phone before anyone books in.
Got a pump issue, or just want honest advice?
Call us. We'll tell you straight what you're dealing with — even if you're better off without a quote.