Mackay Regional Council will undertake sewer repair work in late May, including the installation of a new isolation valve and air valves, and replacement of 18m of pipe with a custom-made section.
More than 55 crew members across five locations will undertake a major repair to a section of damaged sewer main on Paradise Street, weather permitting.
The works will be conducted on the council’s southern sewage rising main. This critical asset is the main pipeline that carries more than 18 million litres of sewage every day from throughout the city to the Mackay South Water Recycling Facility at Bakers Creek.
Mackay Mayor, Greg Williamson, said this was essential work to repair the damaged pipe on Paradise Street, which has had temporary repair clamps fitted to ensure there was no sewage leakage while the custom-made section was being manufactured.
“To complete the replacement, our crews will need to partially drain 11km of the sewer line, or 900,000 litres of sewage from the main.
“This is an enormous undertaking, which will involve turning off 88 sewerage pump stations in the Mackay sewerage scheme. These pump stations enable the sewage to continue to flow throughout the length of the sewerage network and out to the Mackay South Water Recycling Facility.
“By switching them off, sewage will cease flowing at the required location enabling the crews to repair the pipe,” Mr Williamson said.
The custom-built pipe section, sourced from Brisbane, is a significant piece of infrastructure that will ensure the longevity of the pipeline into the future.
Following the works, council will reinstate the concrete pathway that has been disrupted during the ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the pipe on Paradise Street.
