Yarra Valley Water upgrades sewage treatment plant

Yarra Valley Water is investing $11 million to improve the sewerage system in Croydon and Chirnside Park, Melbourne, as well as providing recycled water to new developments in the area. This includes $9 million in upgrades to the Brushy Creek Sewage Treatment Plant and $2 million for upgrades to local sewerage pipes and several new recycled water pipelines.

“The sewage treatment plant at Brushy Creek treats up to 13 million litres of sewage a day,” said Yarra Valley Water Managing Director Pat McCafferty. “By carrying out plant upgrades and updating the aeration and ultraviolet treatment systems, we can process the sewage more effectively.”

McCafferty said the improvements will help to increase the efficiency and reliability of the services provided to customers in the area and continue to protect the environment.

“The new sewerage pipe is upgrading an existing one which has reached the end of its useful life. The pipeline upgrade will help to reduce the likelihood of sewage spills into the environment.

“We are also installing new recycled water pipes, upgrading the recycled water supply to the Range Development and allowing for any future demand as the population grows. Up to 2 million litres of sewage can be treated and converted each day into high-quality Class A standard recycled water. The recycled water is then used by customers in their gardens, toilets and laundries, saving our valuable drinking water supplies.”

Construction of the new sewerage and recycled water pipes began in June, with works to be completed between the Brushy Creek Sewage Treatment Plant along the Maroondah Highway and into Dorset Road.

“We are working closely with Maroondah City Council to put traffic management in place so that as little disruption as possible occurs while the work is carried out,” said McCafferty. “While some areas of construction will require an open trench to be dug to lay the new pipes, where possible we will use trenchless technology. This means that a hole will be drilled in the ground for the pipe to be pushed through, instead of digging an open trench. This technique generally takes less time to complete and also minimises our disruption to the environment.”

Pipeline construction is expected to be completed later this year, subject to weather and favourable ground conditions, with the remaining Brushy Creek Sewage Treatment Plant upgrade works to be completed over the next two years.