If you live in Otahuhu, you know the rhythm of the suburb. The hum of the motorway, the smell of sizzling food from the local bakeries, and the afternoon downpour that hits like clockwork. But there is one sound no homeowner wants to hear: the gurgle of a drain that refuses to swallow.

Because we live and work in Otahuhu, we know where the old infrastructure is. We know which streets have reactive clay that crushes pipes, and which suburbs have shared drainage from the 1960s.

Clogged drains are a fact of life in Auckland, but living in Otahuhu comes with its own unique plumbing headaches. Whether you live in a classic weatherboard villa or a modern townhouse off Princes Street, blocked drains can turn a good day bad very quickly.