Wet season works to better protect against spills

Date: Monday, 12th October 2009

Townsville City Council has prioritised work on the waste water network ahead of the on-coming wet season to better protect the city against sewerage overflows during floods.

Council’s Townsville Water is progressing with immediate and long term solutions to reduce stormwater inundation of the city’s waste water network.

Massive flows of stormwater entering the sewerage network during extreme weather events can cause overflows at pump stations and some low lying areas of the city.

Mayor Cr Les Tyrell said the council was committed to strengthening the city’s waste water network to better withstand rainfall events.

“Eliminating overflows altogether will always be difficult in Townsville in times of flood but there is a lot we can do to improve our network and reduce the number of properties affected,” Cr Tyrell said.

“Immediately following last season’s record wet the council carried out an extensive inspection program of the sewerage network to pinpoint and reduce inundation points and to look at ways of improving our operational procedures during high risk events.

“As a result of those investigations, the council has been getting on with the job of getting as much done as possible before the onset of the wet season.”

Townsville Water Director Ken Diehm said the unit’s major focus was on major sources of inundation such as open manholes, illegal and poor condition of property connections, and submerged manholes in flooded areas.

“The work that we are doing is above and beyond the extensive maintenance and inspection programs we run each and every year to ensure our waste water infrastructure is performing properly,” Mr Diehm said.

“In big rainfall events like the one we had last year overflows are inevitable because of the extent of flooding but there are a range of actions we can minimise the impact on the community.”

Townsville Water’s immediate works have included smoke testing and inspections of properties in a number of suburbs, issuing notices for the rectification of 156 illegal stormwater connections on private properties; discovery of 30 broken house drains, and repair of 52 manholes.

Other council works this financial year will also include:

• installation of pressure gauges at 10 pump stations;
• upgraded telemetry and replacement of sensors for better monitoring of pump stations in major rainfall events;
• $3 million for relining of sewerage mains as part of on-going maintenance program;
• Acquisition of generators to provide emergency power supply an pump capacity at city’s pump stations;
• $2.3 million for replacement of section of Western Outfall Pressure main;
• Upgraded operational procedures during high rainfall including emergency EPA approved scours to reduce pressure on the system.