A major milestone has been reached in the Yarra Valley Water (YVW) Painted Hills sewer upgrade, with the completion of the critical microtunnelling section under Overland Drive.
Despite variable ground conditions, the project team employed advanced techniques — including ground penetrating radar (GPR) to map subterranean conditions — enabling safe and accurate underground work.
The upgrade is part of a broader plan launched in January 2025, involving the construction of a one-kilometre sewer pipeline from the pump station near Kyarra Drive to the Mernda and Doreen Recreation Reserve. The project will also see the installation of new maintenance holes for future accessibility, and the construction of a new pump station at the intersection of Painted Hills Road and Kyarra Drive, with the existing one to be decommissioned.
Once finalised, the infrastructure will support over 3350 homes in the rapidly growing Doreen area — significantly boosting sewer capacity and system reliability to meet increased demand. The microtunnelling milestone underscores the collaborative effort with delivery partner Jaydo and other project partners, whose combined work contributed to this achievement.
YVW has stressed that the works have been carefully staged and that residents should see no interruption to existing water or sewer services during construction. As the project progresses, the community will benefit from improved infrastructure designed to accommodate ongoing growth in Melbourne’s outer-northern suburbs.