Residents living in the area south of the racecourse on Dean, Stuart and Vine Streets have spoken out to the Weekly in the hope it will prompt action.

A dangerously sinking sewage pit, backflow problems, road surfaces being damaged from drainage leaks and even raw sewage flooding onto streets have been reported by residents.

Stuart Street resident Judy Brown said the drainage pit in the lane behind her house was a safety issue.

"City West Water laid some bitumen on it 12-18 months ago and it's sinking into an abyss again.

''One day someone will disappear in it with their car; there's something drastically wrong going on.

''One day this whole sewer is going to collapse."

Another Vine Street resident said he had backflow issues and replaced his washing machine thinking it was to blame for dirty water getting into their machine, but the problem continued.

The resident, Alex, said he contacted Moonee Valley Council, which referred him to City West Water.

"I don't know whether it's the increased population or more houses being built, but the old system isn't coping.

A Dean Street resident who wanted her name withheld, said she also had backflow issues that resulted in washing never cleaning properly.

She said independent plumbers had inspected her domestic plumbing and found no problem.

The resident believes that although an upgrade to local infrastructure is urgently needed, nothing will be done until development plans at Moonee Valley racecourse are confirmed.

An infrastructure report released by the Moonee Valley Racing Club in October includes a paragraph stating the sewerage infrastructure in Dean Street is "at full capacity".

City West Water managing director Anne Barker City said the utility had received one customer complaint regarding the sewerage system in the Dean Street, Moonee Ponds area.

As a result, in early January, response crews had inspected the sewerage pipes on the property using Tv cameras, which did not reveal any problems or blockages with the sewers.

She said City West Water would continue to monitor the performance of the system in the area to ensure it performed as expected.

"While there are no current plans to upgrade the sewers in the area, City West Water has a dedicated area of the business that oversees urban developments in our service area."