A major sewer improvement project has been completed by Coliban Water at its Bendigo Water Reclamation Plant in Epsom to renew vital infrastructure.
Coliban Water Manager Infrastructure Corey Bourne said the $800,000 project involved the renewal of approximately 135 metres of sewer mains and construction of three new sewer manholes within the plant grounds.
“What is significant about these works is that these sewer assets cater for all of Bendigo’s sewerage before it enters our water reclamation plant. That is sewerage from more than 44,000 connections which enters the plant at up to 400 litres per second.
“These works have significantly extended the lifespan of this sewer infrastructure for another 50 years. Our contractor Interflow carried out these works on behalf of Coliban Water during June and July, with the majority of works completed at night,” Mr Bourne said.
“We don’t often carry out night works but in this case it was necessary to allow works to progress while the sewer network was in use and during times when there were low flows.”
Bypass pumping was used during construction which meant there was no interruption to customers’ normal sewer services.
“We were constantly monitoring the flows and we also installed level sensors in the network prior to the works to ensure we could receive advance warning if anything was amiss.”
A sewer lining technique called Rib-Loc was used during the process which involved the spiral winding of a continuous plastic strip directly into the deteriorated sewer pipes. The edges of the strip interlock as it is spirally wound to form a continuous watertight liner inside the pipe, restoring the structural integrity of the water main.
“In addition, crews used a specialised mortar which provides strong resistance to any corrosion caused by the sewer environment.”
Acting Managing Director Neville Pearce said he was pleased to see completion of these vital works at Bendigo Water Reclamation Plant, which will serve Bendigo well into the future.
“Growing demand for our sewer services is a driver of change as Bendigo’s urban population continues to grow, so it’s great to see these improvements take place.
“This aligns with our Strategy 2030 vision which recognises the need for quality water and sewerage services to enable future prosperity of our communities and the wider region,” he said.
Last updated on 02 Aug 2019