By Matthew Sims
Melbourne Water has temporarily closed part of the Maribyrnong River Trail as part of installation works on a new sewer system.
Melbourne Water has started work on building a new sewer to connect the Maribyrnong River Main [MRM] system in Avondale Heights to the North Western Sewer [NWS] system in Maidstone to allow for wastewater to be transported to the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee.
Melbourne Water has outlined the closure of the Maribyrnong River Trail between the Canning Street Reserve and the existing M102 water pipe bridge would be in place for the next eight months, as works to build a new bridge to carry the new sewer pipe proceed.
Melbourne Water major program delivery general manager Eamonn Kelly said the new sewer would reach across 1.2 kilometres to divert the MRM sewer system into the NWS system to send the water to the Werribee treatment plant.
“It will have capacity to transport about 24 million litres of sewage each day from 36,000 properties in Essendon West, Airport West, Tullamarine – including Melbourne Airport – Avondale Heights, Keilor East, Taylors Lakes and Sydenham to where it’s treated at the Western Treatment Plant,” he said.
“With the west being a big urban growth corridor, there is a real need for this capacity building and innovative sewer augmentation.”
The works would also include the creation of a 300 metre shared path to join up to existing shared paths on either side of the Maribyrnong River.
Safety Focused Performance Joint Venture (SFPJV) has set up site on the corner of Williamson and Hampstead roads in Maidstone, with satellite site facilities and fencing set to be installed along the northern bank of the Maribyrnong River and within the Medway Golf Course on the southern bank soon.
Melbourne Water has facilitated geotechnical investigations, cultural heritage assessments and flora and fauna surveys on the project, which would be used to inform the detailed design.
Details: yoursay.melbournewater.com.au/mrm-north-western-sewer-connection
