Sewer Pump Progress – Lawler St Yarram

Monday, October 21st, 2019

Those driving, riding or walking along Lawler Street in Yarram will have noticed the work being carried out by South Gippsland Water at its sewer pump station. Upgrades to the 56 year old infrastructure began in April and the construction phase of a new pump well is nearing completion, marking the half-way point of the project.

South Gippsland Water Managing Director Philippe du Plessis said “As part of South Gippsland Water’s commitment to providing a reliable, safe and efficient wastewater service, we identified that the existing pump station was no longer meeting capacity or occupational health and safety requirements.

“Significant investment is being made to upgrade pumping and storage volumes at the site to ensure a reliable and efficient service that benefits customers, community, our staff and the environment.”

In recent weeks works crews and contractors have been finalising the below-ground components of the upgrade, including the sinking of a 14m shaft to accommodate a new pump well, muncher pit and pumps.

“Soil was excavated from the site to create the shaft which has been reinforced using the ring and timber method to ensure safety and stability during construction,” explained Mr du Plessis. “Segments of pump well and muncher pit have been installed in stages within the shaft, with around 200 cubic meters of concrete and stabilised sand around the wet well and muncher pit.”

With the completion of the new pump well, the existing pump well will be converted to cater for excess and emergency storage. The two pump wells will increase storage capacity and, along with new pumps processing greater volumes of wastewater, the pump station will be capable of coping with storms rated at a one-in-five-year event.

The upcoming work schedule will focus on the demolition of existing buildings to make room for a new pump station, the installation of 7.5m vent poles, new valve pits, an above-ground switchboard, and a 180kW back-up power supply generator. The existing pump station will be converted into 385kL of emergency storage to allow the system to better cope with storm events.

Two new pumps will be installed and, though only one will operate at a time, another will always be on standby as a back-up. Pumping capacity will increase to 75L/second which will provide increased efficiency when pumping wastewater nine kilometres to the Tarraville Wastewater Treatment Plant.

South Gippsland Water advises that traffic management will continue to be in place as this activity will have an impact on pedestrian and vehicle traffic along Lawler Street and pedestrian traffic on the path between Yarram Memorial Park and Lawler Street.

“The patience and understanding of residents in vicinity of the site is appreciated,” acknowledged Mr du Plessis. “This project will cause some disruption in the short-term, but, in the long-term, the upgrade will reduce the risk of sewer spills and provide greater network efficiencies for us and for our customers.”