Community Sewerage Program
Improving the environment, waterways and community health
Welcome to the Community Sewerage Program
We’ll soon be providing a new sewerage system to your neighbourhood as part of our Community Sewerage Program.
In partnership with the State Government and local councils, we’re delivering a piped sewerage network to the outer Melbourne areas that need it most.
Many homes in Melbourne were built before sewerage was available, so there are many properties in the outer northern and eastern suburbs that are still using septic tanks.
This handbook provides all the information you need about the Community Sewerage Program and how you can help improve the local environment by connecting to the sewer system.
Learn more about the Community Sewerage Program, the types of systems we use, the likely impacts on your property and answers to frequently asked questions.
When these septic tank systems do not meet current standards, they are a potential risk to public health, local waterways and the environment.
That’s why we’re investing more than $200 million over the next 10 years to provide piped sewerage services to these areas.
Benefits
• Improved local waterway health
• Reduced risk to public health
• No maintenance or upgrade costs
• Eliminates odours and boggy patches
• Greater flexibility for home improvement/extension
• Potentially improve property value
We refer to all types of septic tanks and systems, including advanced treatment systems such as small treatment plants or biological and trickling filters, as ‘onsite wastewater treatment systems’ in this booklet.
Why is my property on the Community Sewerage Program?
Your local council manages onsite wastewater treatment systems, identifies properties unable to contain wastewater and recommends areas to be added to the Community Sewerage Program. Your property is in one of these areas.
What do we pay for? What do you pay for?
We pay for the new sewer equipment and its installation.
This includes laying the sewerage pipes in the ground, building the pump stations, providing and installing a pressure sewer unit (if required) and any other equipment or construction needed to bring a sewerage network to your area.
When you’re ready to connect you will need to organise and pay a licensed plumber to connect your household plumbing to the new sewerage system and decommission your existing wastewater treatment system.
Do I have to connect?
You don’t have to connect to the new sewerage system, provided your onsite sewerage system is working in accordance with Section 3 of the EPA Code of Practice – Onsite Wastewater Management and council onsite wastewater system permit conditions.
Your local council may require you to demonstrate compliance and it’s best to check their website for up to date information.
In the future, if your system fails to meet requirements, you may want to consider connecting to the piped sewerage system.
When do I have to connect?
Even if you’re not planning to connect to the new system, we’ll still provide your property with a connection point. This means you, or future property owners, can choose to connect to the sewerage system at a later time.
Whether you’re getting a pressure or gravity connection point (see page 8), we’ll be in touch to let you know where the connection point will be located at your property boundary.
We’re bringing a new sewer service to your community.
What type of system will my community get?
We install three types of piped sewerage systems:
• Pressure
• Gravity
• Hybrid (using both pressure and gravity systems).
When we construct the new sewerage system in your area, we’ll install a pressure connection point or a gravity connection point to every property. You aren’t obligated to connect to the new system, but it’s installed in case you decide to connect in the future.
In the Park Orchards area, we need to install a combination of gravity and pressure sewer systems to suit the changing landscape across the suburb.
Property owners can’t choose what type of system will service their property, this is determined during our engineering design process.
Before construction, we conduct detailed investigations to determine the best connection option for your property. Factors such as land slope, the local environment and proximity to the nearest existing sewer will influence the type of system we use.
Once an option is selected, we’ll provide you with all the information you need, including how the system works, the anticipated construction times and the connection process.
Types of sewer systems
Pressure sewer systems
These systems are often used in areas where it is impractical to install a traditional gravity system. This is usually because the landscape is very hilly or very flat and the pressure sewer unit pumps wastewater into the sewerage network.
Gravity sewer systems
The traditional method of sewage collection and disposal, these systems are often used in areas where the landscape has a gradual slope and gravity moves wastewater into the network.
Hybrid sewer systems
Hybrid systems use a combination of gravity and pressure sewer systems. Each property will have either one type or the other. They’re used in areas where we can partially service the area by gravity, but also need to service some properties by pressure, usually because the area is hilly.
Sewage pumping station
Sewage flows downhill via gravity
What you need to know about pressure sewer systems
Pressure sewer systems work by using gravity to move wastewater from the home into a pressure sewer unit, or tank. A pump in the unit then pushes the wastewater from the property into the sewerage network.
We own, install, and maintain the pressure sewer equipment at no cost to property owners.
Property owners are responsible for the cost and upkeep of their household plumbing.
Pressure sewer system
Yarra Valley Water pays for, installs, owns and maintains this equipment
Customer pays for, owns and maintains household plumbing
home
Household plumbing
Transfers wastewater from your house to the pressure sewer unit. The property owner is responsible for maintaining this plumbing.
Control panel
A small box mounted to the wall of the house containing controls and alarms for the pressure sewer unit.
Pressure sewer unit
Control panel
Power cable
Household plumbing
Customer
What makes up a pressure sewer system?
A pressure sewer system requires the installation of equipment on your property. We pay for this equipment and its installation.
The system is made up of:
1. A pressure sewer unit
2. A boundary valve
3. The discharge line (the pipe connecting the equipment to the sewerage pipes in the street)
4. A control panel
Once installed, the only visible parts of the pressure sewer equipment are the pressure sewer unit lid, the boundary valve lid and the control panel.
The pressure sewer lid is approximately one metre in diameter and is made from a smooth green polyethylene material that will blend into your garden.
The control panel is approximately 25cm x 25cm and is usually installed on an outside wall of the house or shed.
What am I responsible for?
You’ll be responsible for engaging a plumber to connect your household plumbing to the pressure sewer unit (not the boundary valve) and decommission your existing onsite wastewater treatment system.
Once we near the end of construction in your area, we’ll provide more information explaining the steps required to connect to the new sewerage system.
Pressure sewer unit
An underground storage tank containing a pump and level monitors. The tank has extra space to allow for power outages.
Boundary valve
Stops wastewater re-entering the property. Allows the property to be isolated for maintenance.
What you need to know about pressure sewer systems
How will a pressure sewer system impact my property? Do I get a say in where it goes?
Our specialist pressure sewer contractor will meet with you so you can ask any questions and discuss your preferred location for the pressure sewer equipment.
The contractor will provide a plan that shows the proposed location of the pressure connection point on your property. You’ll need to sign this plan to show you agree to the location.
We’ll provide you with all the information you need to arrange this consultation.
The pressure sewer connection point –the boundary valve
Every property under the Community Sewerage Program receives a connection point. There is no cost to you for this connection point.
The pressure connection point is a small, below-ground ‘boundary valve’, shown in the photo below. They are generally installed about a metre inside your property boundary.
This equipment:
• ensures wastewater always flows away from your property
• is generally installed within one metre of a property’s boundary, like a water meter
• requires us to dig a trench from the sewer pipe in the street to an installation hole, approximately 50cm x 50cm, usually at the front of your property.
It is important to note that you will be connecting your household plumbing to the pressure sewer unit
How does a pressure sewer unit work?
The pump unit is the main component of your pressure sewer system. Here’s how it works:
Step 1
Wastewater enters the storage tank from the household plumbing (including sinks, toilets, showers, baths, etc.).
Step 2
The wastewater level rises above the ‘pump on’ level and the pump automatically turns on sending wastewater off your property.
Step 3
When the wastewater level is reduced below the ‘pump off’ level, the pump automatically turns off.
System Error
In the event of a power outage or pump failure, the wastewater level may rise above the ‘alarm’ level.
The audible and visible alarm will be activated automatically.
The action required in the event of an alarm will depend on what triggered the alarm. You will be provided with further information about what to do in the event of an alarm when your pump unit is installed.
Pump off
Pump off
Pump off Pump on
Pressure sewer system frequently asked questions
What impact will construction have on my property?
We’ll need to access your property with machinery and dig the hole for your new sewerage equipment. This will cause some temporary disruption; however, this will be kept to a minimum and your property will be restored as close as possible to its original condition.
How big is the pressure sewer unit?
Installed underground, the pressure sewer unit we commonly use is approximately 1.2m across and 1.45m deep. After it’s installed, all you will be able to see is the lid that is approximately 1m diameter.
How loud is the pressure sewer unit?
The noise from the pumps is only just detectable when standing right next to the storage tank lid.
How long does the pump unit operate each day?
The pump typically operates intermittently for 15-20 minutes per day, depending on how much water you use.
What happens if there is a power failure or the pump unit stops working?
The pressure sewer units have emergency storage greater than the typical daily volume of wastewater produced by a household. During a power outage, you won’t be able to use appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines, so the emergency storage will generally last longer than 24 hours.
We typically respond within a few hours during business hours. If problems are called in after hours, our maintenance crew will respond that day or the following morning, depending on the urgency of the job.
In the event of longer power outages, our customer service team can assess the status of the pressure sewer unit over the phone with you.
This assessment allows us to coordinate our approach and dispatch field teams if required.
Our customer service team will also let you know how to identify if the tank is nearing full. If the tank fills we either organise to pump out the storage tank or provide a generator.
How much energy is used to operate the pump unit?
Our pump units are designed to use the least amount of energy possible to pump wastewater, and only operate around 15-20 minutes per day. Electricity costs to the customer will vary based on the volume of water used and the rate paid for electricity.
My property/street slopes downhill – why do I need a pump unit?
In most cases, where there is a downhill slope, properties will be serviced by gravity. In some cases, properties must be serviced by pressure to allow flows to be pumped over a hill further downstream in the sewerage network through the pressurised pipe in the street.
What you need to know about gravity systems
What is a gravity connection point?
Every property under the Community Sewerage Program receives a connection point. There is no cost to you for this connection point.
The gravity connection point is a pipe installed just inside your property boundary that connects your property to the sewer in your street or sewerage easement.
When the time comes to connect to the sewerage system, you’ll be responsible for engaging a licensed plumber to connect your household plumbing to the connection point near your property boundary and decommission your existing onsite wastewater treatment system.
We’ll provide you with more information explaining the steps required to connect to the new sewerage system when it’s ready.
Gravity sewer system
Yarra Valley Water pays for, installs, owns and maintains this equipment
Customer pays for, owns and maintains household plumbing
Transfers wastewater from your house to the sewer in the street or sewerage easement. The property owner is responsible for maintaining this plumbing.
After the sewerage system is completed, the property owner engages a licensed plumber to decommission the
onsite system and connect to the
Household plumbing
How will a gravity connection point impact my property? Do I get a say as to where it goes?
During the project design stage, we’ll send you a plan showing the proposed location of the connection point on your property. The connection point is typically located one meter inside the property boundary.
The connection point is selected based on the location of existing gas, electricity, water and telecommunications services, significant trees, native vegetation and the slope of your property.
The gravity connection point plan shows the proposed location of the connection point, however, the location is only finalised once the construction contractor confirms it can be built.
YARRA
Community Sewerage project stages
Design and assessment
We assess a range of different ways to provide a sewerage system to your area.
As well as the underlying engineering modelling, we must work with and around existing trees and vegetation, council plans for new amenities, ground conditions and First People’s cultural heritage.
Other activities include surveying your local area and investigating the location of existing gas, water, telecommunications and electricity services while following strict regulations on where pipes can be installed.
What you can expect
• We’ll let you know we’re working on the sewerage system for your area and you’ll see our staff, contractors, surveyors and design consultants in your area.
• We’ll notify you in advance if we need to enter your property.
• Pegs along your nature strip or easement to mark the sewer alignment will be removed during construction.
• We’ll confirm with you the connection point type and the proposed location on your property.
Construction
After the design is complete our contractors construct the new sewerage system for your area.
We’ll let you know when to expect construction work near your home, and you can always check for updates by visiting our website.
What you can expect
• You’ll see construction workers, machinery and trucks in your area.
• Where possible, sewer pipes will be installed using underground drilling to minimise the impact on your community and the environment.
• Small excavations around your neighbourhood will be restored as close as possible to the original condition.
• We’ll keep noise to a minimum and work within normal hours (7am-5pm, Monday to Friday) and occasionally on Saturdays.
• We’ll keep changes to traffic conditions to a minimum to keep you moving.
Connection
• After we’ve finished constructing and testing the system, we’ll let you know when and how you can apply to connect.
2 1 3
Design
Stages of our Community Sewerage Program
Poorly performing onsite wastewater treatment systems can cause sewage to enter our stormwater drainage system and end up in waterways.
Onsite wastewater treatment systems
Local councils are responsible for the regulation of onsite wastewater treatment systems. They work in accordance with Section 3 of the EPA Code of Practice – Onsite Wastewater Management (epa.vic.gov.au/about-epa/publications/891-4) and council onsite wastewater system permit conditions. Your local council may require you to periodically demonstrate this compliance.
Is your onsite wastewater treatment system doing its job?
An onsite wastewater treatment system does not have to be old or faulty to be failing.
If any wastewater (treated or untreated) is leaving your property boundary it’s failing to do its job.
All wastewater generated by your household must be treated and then discharged to an area called a dispersal or irrigation field, usually a grassed area on your property. The treated wastewater will then be used by plants, evaporate or soak into the ground.
If wastewater is leaving your property, it’s because the volume of wastewater your household produces is more than your dispersal field can contain.
Often systems operate satisfactorily in summer but fail in winter when the soil becomes saturated from rainfall and evaporation rates are low.
If you have what’s called a ‘split system’, where your wastewater is discharged directly into the stormwater drain system, you are discharging wastewater into local waterways all year round.
When wastewater leaves your property, it can run off into neighbouring properties or enter local waterways by either the stormwater drainage system or by travelling underground. Boggy patches may also form on your property or the surrounding landscape.
The result is:
• pollution of local waterways and groundwater
• contamination of surrounding soil
• public health risks from contact with wastewater on your property or in polluted waterways.
Visit your local council website for more information on septic regulations.
Onsite wastewater treatment systems
Most properties in Melbourne can’t manage wastewater using onsite wastewater treatment systems
Onsite wastewater treatment systems can be an effective option on large properties with a suitable soil type and where the land is not overly steep or hilly.
Most suburban properties in Melbourne can’t meet all these criteria, as demonstrated in the following diagrams.
Property too small
Many properties within Melbourne are too small to contain and dispose of wastewater within the property boundary.
If your property is too small for wastewater to be contained onsite, your household wastewater will run off into neighbouring properties or stormwater drains.
Soils cannot absorb wastewater
Some soils, particularly those high in clay, don’t readily absorb wastewater.
If your dispersal field has been constructed in soil with high clay content, wastewater may rise to the ground surface creating an unhealthy situation and potential for wastewater to run off into local waterways.
Property
Onsite
Dispersal
Rock
Shallow rock and/or waterresistant soil layers in some areas of Melbourne cause wastewater run-off.
Even if your dispersal field has been installed in a soil type that can effectively absorb wastewater, if there is a shallow rock or water-resistant soil layer beneath the ground surface, wastewater can travel along this layer and seep out onto the surface at a low point. The wastewater will eventually end up in local waterways.
Slope of land
The slope of some properties is too steep to keep wastewater onsite.
If your dispersal field is on a significant slope, wastewater cannot be held within the dispersal field for long enough to be absorbed, evaporated, or taken up by plants. It can seep out onto the surface, or travel underground and end up in local waterways.
Split systems
Many onsite wastewater treatment systems are ‘split systems’ where greywater flows directly into the stormwater drainage system.
Many properties in Melbourne use ‘split systems’ where toilet wastewater is directed to the onsite wastewater treatment system but all other wastewater (including the kitchen, shower and laundry) flows through separate pipework directly into the stormwater drainage system. This untreated greywater eventually ends up in local waterways.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reuse my greywater for watering my garden?
Yes, you can. As per the EPA Victoria’s Code Of Practice Onsite Wastewater Management, blackwater (wastewater from toilets) must be discharged to the sewer, however, you can reuse untreated greywater (wastewater from showers, basins and washing appliances) for irrigation in dry periods. You can also install a greywater treatment system to treat and recycle your greywater for use onsite, however you must have a certificate of approval from EPA (Victoria), which sets out the conditions for their use. In both cases, excess greywater that is not reused/recycled onsite must be discharged to the sewer.
This is of particular importance during winter months when soils become saturated by rainfall.
For more information visit epa.vic.gov.au/ for-community/environmental-information/ water/about-wastewater/about-greywater
Why should I connect?
By connecting to the sewerage system you can reduce your impact on the environment and be rewarded with benefits such as:
• no more odours and unsightly damp wastewater patches around your home and local area
• we remove wastewater from your property and maintain our equipment
• improved local waterway health
• reduced risk to public health
• no more ongoing costs to maintain or upgrade your onsite wastewater treatment system
• greater flexibility of home improvement/ extension options
• potential to improve property value.
Why aren’t the existing sewerage easements on my property being used?
Existing sewerage easements were created many years ago based on the best available information at the time.
However, there are often a number of ways that an area can be provided with a sewerage system. Factors such as the fall of the land, environmental disruption and community cost will influence the type and design of the system we choose. The most feasible option will not always involve constructing sewers in existing easements.
What happens if there is a power failure or the pump stops working?
The pressure sewer unit has emergency storage, which allows it to hold more than the average amount of wastewater produced by a household in a day. This gives maintenance staff a day to respond before the emergency storage volume is filled.
During a power failure, we recommend reducing household water use by:
• taking shorter showers
• if a bath was filled, leave the plug in until after the alarm is cancelled or empty out the water onto the lawn using a bucket
• switch off any drainage (automated or not) from swimming pools or spas until 12 hours after the power is restored.
In the event of extended power outages, our customer service team can assess the status of the pressure sewer unit over the phone with you. This assessment allows us to coordinate our approach and dispatch field teams, if required.
If the tank fills, we either organise to pump out the storage tank or attend your property with a generator.
The lid of a pressure sewer unit
How much does it cost to connect to the sewerage system?
We pay to construct the sewerage system and provide a connection point for your property.
You pay for:
• A plumber to safely disconnect your existing onsite wastewater treatment system and connect your property’s plumbing to the new pressure sewer unit. For most properties, this cost will be around $3,000 to $10,000. The cost may be more for some properties depending on factors such as the distance from your house to the connection point, ease of access to your pipes and the compliance of your property’s existing plumbing.
• Once your property is connected, there will be ongoing sewerage charges on your quarterly water bill. Currently, these are approximately $580 per year per household, depending on how much water you use. These charges are made up of two components:
– Sewerage system charge (fixed)
– Sewage disposal charge (variable, based on the volume of wastewater produced)
For more information, visit yvw.com.au/fees-and-charges
• You will also need to pay electricity costs associated with the pressure sewer unit, which are approximately $70 to $130 per year.
If you are connecting a business or commercial property you may be required to pay trade waste charges associated with the discharge of your wastewater to the new sewerage system. For more information about this please visit the Trade Waste webpage at yvw.com.au/tradewaste
Electricity costs
Pressure sewer customers are also responsible for the electricity costs associated with operating the pump in the pressure sewer unit.
This cost will vary based on the volume of water you use and the rate you pay for electricity.
Can’t afford to connect?
We’re committed to working with customers in financial hardship on a case-by-case basis. A government grant is available for customers who hold a concession card and have no savings. There is also some funding available through the Department of Health to cover household plumbing works for those in financial hardship. If you think you might be eligible, please contact our teamon 9872 2551 for more information.
Will you need to dig up my nature strip or backyard to construct the new sewerage system?
Where possible, we use an underground drill, rather than digging trenches, to minimise the impact on the environment.
Where excavation is required, we’ll restore the landscape as close as practical to the original condition.
More information
We are committed to keeping you informed and will provide regular updates. For more information about the Community Sewerage Program: Call us on 9872 2551 Email us communitysewerage@yvw.com.au Visit yvw.com.au/csp
Contact us
Enquiries 1300 304 688
Faults and Emergencies 13 27 62 (24hr) enquiry@yvw.com.au yvw.com.au
TTY Voice Calls 13 36 77
Speak and Listen 1300 555 727
language assistance
For all other languages call our interpreter service on 03 9046 4173