Helen Street Pump Station Upgrade
The Helen Street Pump Station was constructed in 1981 and maintained by the Central Coast Council, until Cradle Mountain Water assumed responsibility for all sewerage and water services in July 2009. It is located off Helen Street, near the Leven River in West Ulverstone. It's purpose is to receive residential untreated sewerage and pump it through to Knights Road for treatment. The pre-treated waste from Simplot is also pumped through to Helen Street, where along with effluent from Knights road, is pumped out to sea. The Helen Street Pump Station operation is a key piece of infrastucture in the overall sewerage management system for Ulverstone.
Currently, the Helen Street Pump Station is in a severe state of degradation due to the age of the facility and equipment and the corrosive nature of the waste stream. There are two separate pump systems located within the building well - one set is for transfer of domestic sewage to our treatment plant and the other set are used to pump effluent to our ocean outfall approximately 1 km from shore. The nature and type of waste received from Simplot over many years has resulted in pipe and pump corrosion, which has resulted in holes, cracks and breaks that require constant repairs and monitoring and are really only bandaid measures. The nature of the trade waste causes odour issues for local residents, and has done so for many years.
In July 2011 the pump equipment failed along with the discharge pipework in the following September. As a result and taking into consideration complaints from local resdients of the odours emanating from the pump station, Cradle Mountain Water determined it was a priority to urgently upgrade the pump station.
Works include replacing the pumps and relocating maintenance valves and fittings to the outside of the well of the building. The new location should prevent high levels of corrsion occuring. Old steel, concrete and asbestos pipes will be replaced with poly pipes. An odour control system will be installed and a back up power failure for this critical part of Cradle Mountain Water's sewerage network. Total works are valued at $1.45 M and VOS is the successful tenderer for the project. Site works will commence in July 2012 with completion projected to be early in the new year.
As the pipe replacement will require an interruption to sewerage flow, some works will be conducted of an evening between 10.00 pm and 5.00 am when there is less flow anticipated. Residents will notice additional lighting on site during these times. For additional information about the project, please call 13 MYWATER (13 6992) or email: enquiries@cmwater.com.au
