Pumping up progress: Upgrading our 110-year-old asset
Work has commenced on upgrades to the Newcastle West 1 Wastewater Pump Station located next to Marketown Shopping Centre car park, following successful preparatory work completed late last year.
The upgrade will reduce future maintenance, improve the existing pump station fixtures, improve amenity and support population growth in the area.
The site has been set up in recent weeks and construction has started which will continue until early next year, assuming the weather is fine and we experience no major issues.
We’re installing a permanent odour control unit (OCU), having had an interim unit in place since last year, as well as remediating existing concrete, and some pipework, covers and hatches at the pump station.
Hunter Water Asset Solutions Group Manager, Justin Watts, said the upgrade will help to protect the pump station and pipework from corrosion and improve community amenity.
“The pump station next to Marketown, Newcastle West 1, is one of our biggest wastewater pump stations. It transfers wastewater to Burwood Beach treatment works from all or parts of 15 inner Newcastle suburb, extending from New Lambton to the Newcastle CBD."
"During the next six months of the major upgrade we’ll switch out the interim OCU we put in late last year with a large permanent unit. This permanent OCU will continue the greatly improved experience for residents and shoppers by extracting and filtering bad-smelling gases like hydrogen sulphide, known as rotten egg gas.
“The added benefit of dramatically reducing hydrogen sulphide also limits corrosion, extending the sewerage system’s operational life and making network management and maintenance more efficient.
There may be some odour and noise along with movement of personnel and construction vehicles while this upgrade takes place. We will make every effort to reduce these impacts as much as possible.
Some areas of the Marketown West car park will be fenced off and unavailable to the public for the duration of the project. We’ve advised Marketown management, nearby residents and tenants and we are in frequent contact with them.