We have invested over $100 million in a four-year program to upgrade ageing sewer pipes and maintenance holes across Melbourne so that they continue providing a safe and reliable service to the community for at least another 50 years.
These sewers are part of Melbourne Water's 400-kilometre network of underground pipes and tunnels, which safely transfer over 320,000 million litres of sewage to our treatment plants each year. Much of this world-class sewerage system was built over 100 years ago, and some sections are coming to the end of their working life.
What’s happened
From February 2018, Melbourne Water's sewer relining and maintenance hole rehabilitation program upgraded 15 kilometres of ageing sewer pipes in several locations across Melbourne. For more information, watch our Sewer Relining Program video.
Project locations
| Project | Status | Relining methodology |
|---|---|---|
| Pascoe Vale sewer upgrade | Completed August 2019 | Spiral wound-in-place liner |
| Maribyrnong River Main sewer upgrade | Completed March 2020 | Spiral wound-in-place liner |
| North Yarra Deviation sewer upgrade (Stony Creek Backwash sewer) |
Completed late 2018 | Spiral wound-in-place liner |
| Brighton Main sewer upgrade | Completed October 2018 | Cured-in-place pipe |
| Hawthorn Main sewer upgrade | Completed November 2020 | Cured-in-place pipe and glass-reinforced plastic |
| Kew Pumping Station sewer upgrade | Completed March 2020 |
Spiral wound-in-place liner |
| Sandringham sewer upgrade | Completed August 2019 | Spiral wound-in-place liner |
| Western Trunk sewer upgrade | Started 2021, to be completed late 2026 | TBC |
Construction techniques
Sewer relining
Sewer relining is a trenchless method of repairing ageing or damaged sewer pipes. It minimises impacts on the community by avoiding the need to dig up pipes to repair them.
There are a number of sewer relining methods that can be used. The two main methodologies include spiral wound-in-place liner and cured-in-place pipe. Our project teams matched the properties from each of these state-of-the-art technologies with the needs of each project. Using either Wound in Place Liner or Cured in Place Pipe to add a minimum of 50 years to the life of these sewer assets.
Spiral wound-in-place liner
This involved dropping a machine down an existing maintenance hole to coat the inside of the sewer pipe with a PVC liner. The machine moved along the sewer unwinding the liner and sticking it to the walls of the existing sewer. Once complete, grout was used to fill any gaps.
Cured-in-place pipe
This involved accessing an existing upstream maintenance hole and running a liner from this maintenance hole to one located downstream. The liner was then expanded to match the size of the sewer pipe and cured using UV light. The liner, once hardened, strengthens the sewer, allowing it to provide many more years of service.
Maintenance hole rehabilitation
Rehabilitation works involved removing the existing ladders and associated items within the maintenance hole, cleaning and removing any debris from the surface and coating the walls with a protective coating. Ladders were reinstated once the coating dried. This strengthens the maintenance holes, allowing them to provide many more years of service.
Your feedback
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