11 March 2011
Final Pipe Installed in Northern Sewerage Project
The $650 million Northern Sewerage Project in Pascoe Vale has celebrated a new milestone with the final section of pipeline now installed 64 metres underground.
“This is a significant moment in the construction of such a large piece of infrastructure for Melbourne,” said Melbourne Water spokesperson Phil Corluka.
“The recent severe weather has really emphasised how beneficial the Northern Sewerage Project will be in the face of climate change and the dramatic weather it brings with it.
“This new infrastructure will increase the capacity of the sewerage system for Melbourne’s northern suburbs, virtually eliminating the likelihood of sewage spills caused by severe weather events,” said Mr Corluka.
Massive growth is anticipated in the outer northern suburbs over the next 20 years and this project will ensure that the sewerage system keeps pace with that growth.
The Northern Sewerage Project, which is being jointly delivered by Melbourne Water and Yarra Valley Water, is located in and will service both the Merri and Moonee Ponds Creek sewerage catchment areas. The site where the final pipe was installed is the meeting point of three intersecting tunnels that will form part of the new sewer, and is the largest and deepest shaft in the project.
This major 12.5km long underground project is currently in the final stages of completion. During earlier stages of construction state-of-the-art tunnel boring machinery was used to construct the tunnels where the pipes are now being installed.
Mr Corluka said $220 million was also being invested to replace a section of the century-old sewer pipeline to service Melbourne’s CBD and the expanding Docklands precinct. The Melbourne Main Sewer project involves the replacement of a 2.3 kilometre section of the sewer network from Port Melbourne to Docklands.
Melbourne Water maintains and operates almost 400 kilometres of sewers and treats about 270 billion litres of sewage each year, or about the same amount it would take to fill 108,000 Olympic swimming pools.
Media Contact: Stephanie Julian (03) 9235 1587; 0467 716 182