Water upgrades completed on Swanston St

Water upgrades completed on Swanston St

Greater Western Water (GWW) has completed vital upgrades to an almost 100-year-old water main on Swanston St.

The project involved upgrading 250 metres of water main to meet the growing demand for the CBD for years to come.  

GWW said it worked closely with the Metro Tunnel Project, Cross Yarra Partnership and City of Melbourne to coordinate works with the construction of the new Town Hall Station, and manage impacts to nearby residents, businesses, and city visitors.  

GWW’s general manager for growth and infrastructure Ian Burton said that delivering the upgrade now reduced the need for works when Town Hall Station opened.  

“Our pipes are built to last about 100 years and this water main, which was built in 1928, was in need of a vital upgrade to serve Melbourne’s growing population,” Mr Buton said.

“We always do our best to minimise disruptions to the communities we work in and that’s why we’ve collaborated with other major projects in the area to coordinate works at the same time, limit the impacts and protect the city’s heritage.”  

Works were completed alongside other construction in the area to minimise disruption to the area, as well and reduce the need to disturb heritage assets such as bluestone pavements and curbs again in the future.  

According to GWW, Melbourne’s underground infrastructure is made up of a complex system and building new pipes requires careful planning to minimise disruption to other assets and services.  

GWW’s delivery partner for this project, AquaMetro, used techniques to reduce the work’s impacts on nearby trees and allow for pedestrian access. This included using slip-lining and pipe-bursting methods, which meant they didn’t have to dig many trenches to.


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