South East Water is empowered to enter properties and construct sewers by the Water Industry Act 1994. Copies of this Act may be freely obtained on the Internet at the Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents Website: www.dms.dpc.vic.gov.au or by contacting the Department of Sustainability and Environment on free-call 136 186.
No. Where required, South East Water can lay sewer pipes in properties without easements. The location of easements is often not suitable for sewers. In addition, they are often already occupied by stormwater drains or other assets.
South East Water is committed to working closely with the community to deliver sewerage scheme projects and we’ll keep you informed throughout the project. You will receive information via notices, information sessions and you can contact us via a dedicated community information hotline and email address. You will also have an opportunity to provide ongoing feedback about how we are performing on this project.
The sewer pipelines are laid using declining grades to induce the flow of wastewater. Gravity Sewer Systems service properties using a network of larger diameter pipelines. This network of pipelines usually discharges the sewage into an existing sewer main or a centralised sewage pump station which then transfers the sewage further within the overall sewer system.
Each property is provided with a small tank with a pump unit installed to which all household wastewater is diverted. The pump units are interconnected by a network of small diameter pressurised pipelines which usually discharges the sewage into an existing sewer main or a centralised sewage pump station which then transfers the sewage further within the overall sewer system. Pressure Sewer Systems are favoured when Gravity Sewer Systems is technically or economically not feasible.
South East Water has successfully installed pressure sewer systems in the townships of Tooradin, Warneet, Cannons Creek, Portsea, Flinders and Shoreham, and we are currently installing the systems in Nar Nar Goon, Tynong, Merricks Beach and Upper Beaconsfield. Pressure sewer technology is also being used Australia-wide by Sydney Water and a number of rural water authorities.
It is important to have the small control box readily accessible and within eyesight of the pump unit for safety reasons. Typically, they are installed on the outside of the house similar to an electrical switchboard. The control boxes are only about 200mm square and 100mm deep. We will specify a neutral colour so they can blend in with the surroundings as much as possible.
No. The pump unit and connecting pipe to the main line in the street is owned and operated by South East Water. You are only responsible for the gravity service pipe work connecting your house outlets to the pump unit.
You will be responsible for ensuring that the pump unit can be readily accessible at all times. (This is the same where a maintenance access pit is located on your property in a gravity system.)
As part of the installation of the pump unit South East Water's contractors will provide power to the unit via a separate circuit from your household electrical switchboard.
Here is a summary of the costs:
Scheme Contribution and Application Fees (paid to South East Water Limited).
Connection costs to your house plumbing (by your Licensed Plumber). **These are figures that can only be confirmed once an on-site assessment and quote has been undertaken, so the information provided here is an average estimate.
Ongoing costs for use of pressure sewerage system. **Those properties connected to the gravity sewerage system will not pay for the electrical supply.
The Sewage Disposal Charge is a user pays charge that covers the cost of collection, treatment and disposal of sewage, so it may be safely re-used or released back to the environment. The Sewage Service Charge covers access to the sewerage system itself. These specific charges can be found by going to our water prices and charges page on our website.
South East Water customers who connect to the sewer scheme, but are not connected to the drinking water system will be charged our standard sewer service charge only. This will apply throughout the remainder of our 2009-2013 pricing period.
Most of the cost to construct the sewerage system will be met by South East Water. However, all customers within the project area will be required to make a financial contribution. Currently this contribution is set at $500 for all backlog sewerage projects, with this contribution included in your quarterly water and sewerage charges bill at $25 per quarter for five years.
In the event of a power outage you are still able to use your facilities such as showers and toilets, etc. It is worth noting that in these circumstances appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers will not be operating. The tanks will be sized to allow a minimum of 24 hours capacity of storage before filling. This will allow for continued use for long power outage periods. On restoration of power the pump will start and quickly pump down to normal operating levels.
The frequency of pump operation is dependent on use. Early morning and evening are typically peak periods. The units used in similar systems operate, on average, about ten times per day. When the pump operating level is reached, the pump will run for one or two minutes. If for any reason the pumps or pump controls fail, then the level in the tank will rise to a point where an alarm will be triggered. A service operator would attend to the pump unit and rectify any problem. If the problems are found to be difficult to solve the pump or control unit can be easily replaced on site.
Yes. The pump units will be secured so that only South East Water personnel or their contractors can access them. The control box will be locked and only accessible to South East Water personnel or their contractors.
Pump units will be located below the ground so you will be virtually unable to hear it. The unit is vented to avoid any odour problems. In areas where similar systems have been installed, property owners have not reported any odour or noise problems in the since they have been in operation.
With the adoption of a pressure sewer system the disruption will be minimised due to the pipelines being installed within the road reserves and not back yards. Typically, the pipes will be laid about one metre deep and will be predominantly installed using trenchless technology. In most cases, based on our experience, pipelines within a street can be installed and the area restored within the same day.
When the sewer system is made available for you to connect, South East Water will notify you and provide you with documentation to assist your application to connect. After you make an application to connect, South East Water staff will consult with you regarding the location of the pump unit, control box and connecting pipe work.
As part of the installation phase of the project, we will arrange for an electrical audit of your existing switchboard to assess its capability to accommodate the extra circuit. Some minor upgrades (eg limiting switch device units) may be required and South East Water will meet the cost of these.
If there is major work required then discussions with the property owner would be undertaken prior to any work being commenced.
Constructing the sewerage scheme does require excavation and this often includes trenchless drilling methods that considerably reduce the impact on nature strips and within properties.
Regardless we give you an undertaking that all areas affected by the works will be reinstated to as near as practicable to their original condition. Our contractors will provide replacement trees and shrubs where construction activity causes damage or removal of existing plants.
While works are in the vicinity of your property, we undertake to ensure that:
Indicative construction dates for your project are shown on the Project Information page.
Please note that these dates are indicative only. Construction is subject to many factors, including the availability of funds, and the weather. The Project information page will be updated regularly. Please feel free to re-visit from time to time, to obtain the latest available information about your project.
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