The damage was discovered using CCTV inspection during the course of Coliban Water’s preventative maintenance project aimed at identifying leaks and preventing blockages along the sewer network.
“View Street is a popular and historic part of Bendigo. As with all our works, we give careful consideration to how we can minimise disruption to customers,” said Coliban Water Manager Infrastructure Corey Bourne.
“We are using a trenchless renewal technique that will enable us to keep the footpath open to pedestrians at all times and have no interruption to our customers’ sewer service.
“The technique involves relining the clay pipe with a spiral bound PVC that restores the structural integrity and reliability of the sewer main.”
The View Street sewer main, which was renewed by contractor Interflow, is the original 225 mm diameter ceramic clay pipe constructed in 1923 and one of the first sewers installed in the area.
“Around 100 km of the original clay pipe is still in operation and functioning well in the Bendigo sewer network, almost 100 years after it was constructed,” said Mr Bourne.
“The relining of the main will increase the pipe’s life expectancy by at least another 50 years.”
Since 2017, Coliban Water has cleaned 143 km of sewer main and inspected approximately 44 km under the maintenance program, one of the largest preventative programs it has undertaken.
For more information visit the Coliban Water website.
If you have a project you would like featured in Trenchless Australasia contact Assistant Editor Chloe Jenkins at cjenkins@gs-press.com.au
Image courtesy Coliban Water