The sewerage system operates as a gravity system, pumping stations are utilised to either lift the sewage from a depth to a shallower depth (i.e. lift station) or to transfer sewage into another gravity system.

Our area covers 16 municipalities, each municipality has individual aspects that impact the operation and maintenance of the sewerage system.

In addition to these conventional sewerage systems, we have recently installed low- pressure sewerage systems in the townships of Tooradin, Warneet and Cannons Creek.

This system involves the installation of a pump and well oneach individual property.

The sewerage system collects raw sewerage from customers located in our area.

The infrastructure is diverse in nature as is the associated operations, maintenance and construction of assets in the system.

'us' – Utility Services has over 35 years experience in maintaining and operating sewerage assets. This includes:

• Monitoring of pumped systems via telemetry (SCADA), including well levels, power availability, communications links, etc;
• Identification and implementation of a variety of odour control measures in sewer pump stations (eg. mixers, washers, vent stacks, soil beds, odour scrubbers, biofilters, etc.);
• Cleaning of sewer rising mains through a variety of techniques (eg. swabbing, biocide dosing, air scouring, etc);
• Repairs to a wide variety of sewer pipe sizes and types (eg. 100 mm PVC to 225 mm vitreous clay to 375 mm asbestos cement to 600mm concrete);
• Management of bypass pumping and eductions during repair works (up to 6ML per day);
• Managing a whole range of customer related issues including tree removal, repairs to house connection branches, management of internal spillages, etc;
• Provision of technical assessments of proposed buildovers near or above sewer assets;
• Coordination of safe and appropriate entries into sewer confined spaces;
• Routine cleaning of wet wells and manholes;
• Scheduled and emergency closed circuit television inspections of reticulation sewers and house connection branches;
• Coordination of minor sewer works (eg. connection of Branch A’s, minor extension of reticulation sewers, raising of manholes, etc.).

The sewerage system needs to be operated and maintained 24 hours - 7 days a week. This includes monitoring of the SCADA telemetry system; a system that is installed at all sewerage pumping stations and other key assets (i.e oxygenation plants to monitor the operation of and alarm should any equipment fail).

Whilst there is an emergency response element to this operation there is also an aspect that requires interrogation and system analysis of elements within the system, to pro actively identify any issues before they occur.

The functions associated with operating and maintaining the sewerage system are diverse and will include a high level of customer consultation, system knowledge, technical expertise to manage issues ensuring that customer, community, environmental and business objectives are met.