High-tech work continues to renew older sewer pipes

A major five-year project to renew many of Bairnsdale’s older sewer pipes has entered its third year, helping to secure the town’s wastewater system for future generations.

According to East Gippsland Water General Manager Sustainability and Infrastructure, Neville Pearce, the renewal process first involves passing closed-circuit TV cameras through the pipes to identify areas in need of priority renewal.

East Gippsland Water has allocated $650,000 a year for these essential works which will help ensure the long-term effectiveness and reliability of the town’s sewer network.

“The pipes that are identified for renewal then undergo a high-tech relining process that eliminates the need for full pipe replacement,” Mr Pearce said. “This reduces cost, minimises community disruption and saves significant time. What used to take months of planning and weeks of destructive digging, can now be done in hours.”

Mr Pearce said the pipe relining process involves inserting a resin-saturated polyester liner into the current pipeline via an existing manhole.

“The tube is then pressurised with air, so as to take the shape of the original pipe, and steam is then used to cure the resin, forming a tight-fitting, jointless and corrosion-resistant ‘pipe within a pipe’,” he explained. “Service lines to properties are then restored using a robotic cutting device.”

During the past year of the Bairnsdale sewer relining project, more than five kilometres of sewer pipes have been inspected using CCTV, and around three kilometres of sewer pipes have been relined. The relining contractor, Victorian-based company Underground Experts, provides a 50-year guarantee on the integrity of its relined pipes.

Mr Pearce said any residents who might be affected by the works will be notified in advance by letter, phone call or door knock, along with information of what to expect while the works are being conducted.