Sewer Vents Improvement Program

Yarra Valley Water is replacing a number of sewer vents as part of our on-going maintenance program to improve the condition of our sewerage infrastructure, which will ensure we continue to provide a safe and reliable sewerage service to our customers.

Did you know?

There are approximately 1,500 sewer vents located throughout Yarra Valley Water's service area. Many of them have been in operation for nearly 100 years and they assist in releasing gases and allowing oxygen into the underground sewerage system. This important function helps to minimise the amount of gases within the sewer which reduces the rate of corrosion and the likelihood of odours.

*Figure 1. Typical sewer vent prior to improvement works*

Improving our sewer vents

This work mainly involves one or more of the following tasks:

The replacement of the upper portion of the sewer vent
Complete replacement of the sewer vent at its location
Relocation of the sewer vent to a new location
Repairs to the sewer air line that connects the sewer vent to the sewer network.

Our partners deliver this work as part of our on-going maintenance program to improve the condition of our sewerage infrastructure, which will ensure we continue to provide a safe and reliable sewerage service to our customers.

Sewer vent replacement schedule

Our program will begin July 2023 and continue until April 2025, with improvement works across around 670 sites in Melbourne’s inner-suburbs. This includes:

Brunswick, Brunswick East, Brunswick West, Coburg, Pascoe Vale South, Alphington, Fairfield, Northcote, Preston, Reservoir, Thornbury, Armadale, Malvern, Malvern East, Ivanhoe, Camberwell, Canterbury, Hawthorn, Hawthorn East, Kew, Surrey Hills, Deepdene, Epping and Glen Iris.

Watch the video below to see how the majority of works will progress in each location.

Community impacts

Water and sewerage services for nearby customers will not be affected by these works. Local residents and businesses may notice occasional construction noise during work hours, and some extra traffic (trucks) in the area.

Yarra Valley Water and our contract partners will work closely with local businesses and residents to ensure every effort is made to minimise the impact to the community while we carry out this important work.

Contact us

If you have any questions or feedback about this program to check the condition of our pipes, call us on 13 2762 or email [email protected].