South East Water is proud to partner with Abergeldie, BMD & KBR (ABK) to strengthen Cardinia Shire’s sewerage infrastructure and resilience, supporting one of Victoria’s fast-growing communities.
The Pakenham Wet Weather Storage and Pumping Station project includes the construction of 2 earthen, concrete-lined lagoon storages at the Pakenham Water Recycling Plant with a combined holding capacity of 19.5 million litres.
A wet-weather sewage pumping station will transfer sewage from the sewer system to these lagoons during significant wet-weather events.
South East Water General Manager Liveable Water Solutions, Charlie Littlefair, highlighted the project’s benefits.
“This project is about future-proofing our Pakenham Water Recycling Plant and protecting the environment,” Littlefair said. “By increasing the plant’s hydraulic capacity and temporarily storing excess sewage, we can minimise the risk of sewer spills during wet weather and return the sewage to the system when conditions improve.
“Over the next 10 years, we’ll continue expanding and improving our water and sewer network infrastructure to support the housing growth needed to accommodate Melbourne’s fast-growing population.”
Flow and load forecasts show that without this project, significant wet weather events will exceed the Pakenham plant’s existing hydraulic capacity, resulting in a higher risk of spills.
Currently in the detailed design phase, the project will start on-site work in August 202 and is expected to be completed by October 2026.
No customer service disruptions are expected, and traffic movement near the Pakenham plant will only increase slightly during construction.
“We’re committed to keeping our customers informed as this project progresses and ensuring we minimise impacts to the local community,” Mr Littlefair added.
The Pakenham Wet Weather Storage and Pumping Station project is located in Cardinia Shire, one of 7 growth area municipalities identified by the Victorian Government.
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