Greater Melbourne's sewerage has provided Melburnians with world-class sanitation for over 100 years, protecting public health and the environment. Find out how.
How we define sewerage
Sewerage (also known as our 'sewerage system') is vital to Melbourne's health. It is a network of over 3,000 km of pipes and pumps that safely transfers sewage from homes and businesses to our treatment plans for processing.
Sewerage includes:
- 400 kilometres of sewers
- 3 main trunk sewers
- 9 pumping stations.
Who does what, and where?
Check out this map, which shows Greater Melbourne's sewerage and the water corporation boundaries.
What we do
Melbourne Water constantly monitors and maintains our sewerage to keep it in good working condition. This involves:
- inspecting sewers through closed circuit TV
- cleaning sewers
- trimming tree roots to prevent blockages, using high-pressure water jets
- major works and projects to replace aging pipes or increase their capacity.
Investing in our sewerage future
Melbourne Water is investing over $100 million in a sewer relining and manhole rehabilitation program to upgrade ageing sewer pipes across Melbourne. Watch this video for details:
Sewer spills
Although Melbourne has world-class sewerage, sewage can still overflow sometimes.
This happens when sewer pipes are blocked or broken by tree roots, fats or oils – or when sewers are too full after heavy rain.
Watch this video to find out more about 'sewer spills':
How you can help
Do you know what to flush... and what not to flush?
In short:
- Don’t flush fats, oils or other dangerous chemicals down the sink or toilet.
- Don't flush wet wipes or disposable nappies down the toilet either.
You can also:
- Check your stormwater plumbing isn’t connected to sewerage.
- Install a water tank to capture rainwater.
Got it? Watch this video to test your knowledge:
Next: What happens
after you flush?
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Visit our sewerage past
Check out Melbourne's sewerage history, including how sewage was previously treated, or go straight to historic sewerage sites Cocoroc and Werribee Farm.
Know what we're doing now
Find out how we're upgrading 15 kilometres of ageing sewer pipes across Melbourne with the Sewer Relining Project.
View the Sewer Relining Project
Envisage our sewerage future
Read the Melbourne Sewerage Strategy: a collaboration between Melbourne Water and Melbourne's water retailers.