Olinda Sewerage Project
We're designing a system that will provide sewerage services for around 500 properties in Olinda and an area in Mount Dandenong. You may see us and our specialist contractors in your area as we carry out surveys and investigations. These help us to design the system and prepare for construction.
We'll be constructing the new sewerage pipelines progressively from south to north, along road reserves and easements. Every property along the sewerage pipe path will receive a connection point. Customers with a connection point will be able to connect to the sewerage network. We expect we’ll start constructing in 2024.
The following map shows the areas we're investigating in Olinda:
The project will provide many benefits to your community, including:
- Improving the health of local waterways.
- Reducing odours in the area.
- Providing a more liveable environment for the community.
Property owners will also benefit when they connect to the sewerage system instead of maintaining a septic tank or needing to replace it when it gets old.
Other benefits include:
- No odours or soggy patches around your home.
- Less pollution into the environment.
- Greater flexibility for home improvement and extension options.
The more properties that connect to the new system, the better it will be for the community.
Why does this area need a piped sewerage system?
Septic tanks work by gradually releasing wastewater so that it's absorbed by the soil and plants on your property. If they're old and beyond their service life, fail or aren’t maintained properly, they can create unpleasant smells and boggy areas. They can leak waste onto other properties, or the wastewater can flow into local drains and waterways. Sometimes properties are too small to contain the waste, or the land might be steep, so the waste runs off before it is absorbed.
Also, many properties have split systems where toilet water is treated by the septic tank and the wastewater from the kitchen, shower and laundry flows into the stormwater system. This waste is not treated and flows into our creeks, rivers and bay, polluting our waterways.
What should you do right now?
You don't need to do anything right now, except keep maintaining your current onsite wastewater (septic) system.
We'll be in touch with property owners directly as we progress.
Contact us
If you have any questions or feedback about the project, please contact Project Manager Megan O'Brien on 9872 1367 or megan.o'[email protected].
Project updates
March 2023 - information session - webinar recording
Our recent information sessions were well attended and generated some great questions. If you were unable to attend and are interested to learn more about the Community Sewerage Program and what it means for you in Olinda, you can catch up with a video recording of a webinar session here:
February 2023 - information sessions
Learn about the Community Sewerage Program, how it works and what you need to do to connect
You’re invited to attend an online or in-person information session. Ask questions and get the right information you need to make the switch from septic to sewer.
Webinars
Register, selecting your preferred session, at: yvw.info/olinda-webinar
- Tuesday 28 February, 5 to 6 pm, or
- Wednesday 1 March, 12:30 to 1:30 pm
In-person at our shop at 74 Main Road, Monbulk
Register, selecting your preferred session, at: yvw.info/in-person-session
- Tuesday 28 February, 7 to 8 pm, or
- Thursday 2 March, 9:30 to 10:30 am
Learn about:
- Pressure sewer systems – the type of sewerage system we’re building for Olinda.
- How we’ll construct the system and what this means for you.
- Who pays for what.
- What you need to do to connect.
October 2022
What's happening in Olinda?
We're conducting investigation works for this project which will allow us to refine our engineering designs for the sewerage system.
Will I be receiving a sewerage service?
The design process determines the feasibility of where we can install pipes and takes into account many factors including topography, ecological impact, distance to existing infrastructure and hydraulics.
In the coming months, we’ll be in touch directly with property owners who will be receiving a sewerage service with more information.
What investigation works are taking place?
Between now and the mid-2023, our specialist contractors will be be surveying and investigating local conditions, including:
- Geotechnical sampling – small bore holes are drilled in different areas and soil and rock samples are analysed to help determine the best location for the sewerage pipes.
- Cultural heritage investigation – to assess the potential impact of a proposed activity on Aboriginal cultural heritage. These investigations are part of a Cultural Heritage Management Plan required under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 and involve digging small holes in different parts of the project area. The results will be available before the end of the year.
- Ecological surveying – required to help inform the route of our pipelines, reduce the need to disturb vegetation and to protect the environment.
- Service proving – using ‘non-destructive digging’ to verify infrastructure locations. The ‘digging’ involves using high pressure water to dislodge soil in road reserves and pathways. Using this equipment minimises the risk of causing damage to existing pipes and infrastructure, as well as tree roots and vegetation.