Multimillion-dollar sewer upgrades for older parts of Wagga get green light

Wagga councillors voted to award a $2.4 million tender to Benex Group Ltd to provide sewer mains rehabilitation services to various parts of the city over the coming 12 months during a confidential session of council on Monday night.

Council's director of infrastructure services Warren Faulkner said the rehabilitation works will focus primarily on older parts of town where the mains are composed mainly of vitreous clay and concrete which tends to crack and collapse.

Mr Faulkner said these pipes are "not well sealed because of the number of joins" compared to newer pipes.

"They crack and collapse because they are brittle," he said.

He said high-density polyethylene pipe will be used to upgrade pressure mains and vitreous clay and concrete gravity-reliant mains.

Mr Faulkner said workers will be "renewing" a total of 128 segments of sewer main totalling 5.3km in length at approximately 25 different locations across the city, however one suburb in particular will be in the spotlight.

"The majority of the sewer mains are located in the rear of properties in the suburb of Tolland," he said.

He said there are "only ten streets" where the sewer main works will be undertaken under the verge of the road reserve, and reassured motorists there will be "minimal impact to traffic" while the upgrades are carried out.

Mr Faulkner said the rehabilitation works are part of an annual recurrent capital works program.

"Council has typically rehabilitated 5km of vitreous clay and concrete sewer mains per year," he said.

In contrast to the older parts of town, Mr Faulkner said sewer mains in newer areas like Bourkelands, Glenfield Park, Forest Hill, Boorooma, Estella and Gobba are mostly made out of PVC pipes that are well sealed.

The upgrade works are set to commence before the end of June.