Residents asked to reduce water use during repairs to sewer main

More than 55 crew members across five locations will undertake a major repair to a section of damaged sewer main on Paradise Street on Saturday, May 21, from 6pm until 8am Sunday, weather permitting.

The works will be conducted on council’s southern sewage rising main. This critical asset is the main pipeline that carries more than 18 million litres of sewage every day from throughout the city to the Mackay South Water Recycling Facility at Bakers Creek.

The works will involve replacing 18 metres of pipe at the Paradise Street location with a new custom-made section, and installation of a new isolation valve and air valves.

Mayor Greg Williamson said it was essential that all residents in the Mackay urban area, except for the Northern Beaches (see map), reduce their water usage during the works to prevent sewage overflow.

“Firstly, it’s important to remember this is not a water interruption and businesses and households will still have access to water throughout the evening,” Mayor Williamson said.

“But any overuse of water in the identified areas could cause the sewage pumping stations to become inundated while they are shut down.

“Any sort of inundation could cause harmful discharges to our environment – something we want to avoid at all costs.

“In other words, if it’s yellow let it mellow! Have an early shower, leave those dirty dishes until tomorrow, and who wants to do laundry on a Saturday night anyway?” he said.

Mayor Williamson said this was essential work to repair the damaged pipe on Paradise Street, which has had temporary repair clamps fitted to ensure there was no sewage leakage while the custom-made section was being manufactured.

“To complete the replacement, our crews will need to partially drain 11kms of the sewer line, or 900,000 litres of sewage from the main.

“This is an enormous undertaking, which will involve turning off 88 sewerage pump stations in the Mackay sewerage scheme. These pump stations enable the sewage to continue to flow throughout the length of the sewerage network and out to the Mackay South Water Recycling Facility.

“By switching them off, sewage will cease flowing at the required location enabling the crews to repair the pipe,” he said.

During the work, while the pumping stations are simultaneously shut down, there may be some odour and noise. Residents near to these locations will be notified of the works by mail.

A small number of residents at Bakers Creek and Mackay will also be impacted by a road closure while tanker trucks are in operation. Traffic control will be in place.

The custom-built pipe section, sourced from Brisbane, is a significant piece of infrastructure that will ensure the longevity of the pipeline into the future.

Following the works, council will reinstate the concrete pathway that has been disrupted during the ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the pipe on Paradise Street.

Council apologises for any inconvenience to residents during this essential work. Residents can contact council on 1300 MACKAY (622 529) if they have any questions.

To stay informed and up to date on the Southern  Rising main repair works, visit Connecting Mackay.