It’s an era of expansion for the water sector, but new infrastructure doesn’t just need to meet our needs today, it needs to be built for tomorrow.
Australia’s water networks are under more strain than ever. As the population grows, climate patterns shift, and demand becomes more complex, legacy infrastructure is struggling to keep up.
These ageing systems need to be upgraded to meet new standards and rising community expectations, while at the same time water networks need to expand to accommodate populations growth and support the new greenfield developments cropping up all over Australia.
Both existing and new assets also need to be resilience to increasing extreme storm, heat and flooding events, and equipped to meet future needs.
And utilities need to deliver all this without placing extra burden on consumers.
For Lanco Group Senior Design Engineer, Anthony Drossinis, success starts at the design phase.
From design to delivery
Maximising the lifespan of an asset means better return on investment, and ultimately means customers won’t be funding frequent upgrades or replacements down the track. Mr Drossinis explained that to do this, water and sewer assets need to be engineered to last a design life of at least 100 years.
“The two main factors that contribute to the longevity and resilience of utility infrastructure is the pipe type and workmanship of pipeline installation,” he said
“I design based on the latest materials using mostly PE and the newer pipe ECOPUR for contaminated areas, this will ensure that the water infrastructure will last longer.
“However, it also depends on contractor’s workmanship, as this may have an impact on pipe integrity.”
Collaboration is the key to eliminating challenges, which why the team at Lanco group work closely with contractors and water authorities to overcome issues as they arise.
“I am in communication with the water contractor throughout the project to ensure that piping is laid as per current standards to last a lifetime,” Mr Drossinis said.
“As part of our QA construction auditing process we would audit the contractor on site and monitor if they are installing pipe as per the MRWA water code. [We’d also check] on the quality of the pipe delivered to site to see if there are any defects, and ensure that the contractor providing the joining of pipes is completing this as per the MRWA water standards.”
Mr Drossinis said that having clear, open communication with stakeholders helped him overcome challenges with two complex major water main relocations: one on Mickleham Road in Greenvale for Service Stream; and another on Clyde Road in Berwick in collaboration with Downer.
“Both these projects involved a number of stakeholders that were affected by the relocation of a number for water mains for a road upgrade,” he said.
“Meetings were scheduled weekly and most meetings were organised to discuss updates on the project, design alternatives and other issues that stakeholders raised.”
For the Mickleham Road project, Mr Drossinis said he coordinated with Service Stream to source exact size fittings for the bigger pipe and confirm the new water main alignment.
“Effective communication between stakeholders was important for the project to run smoothly and completed on time,” he said.
While it presented new challenges, Mr Drossinis said that the Clyde Road water relocation project was one of the most rewarding – and from it he was able to improve his design process and the way he communicated with other stakeholders, such as Vicroads.
“From this project I have learnt to deal with conflict in design and has shaped me to tackle harder and difficult projects going forward,” he said.
These skills are especially important in situations where one project’s construction schedule clashes with another’s.
“In some cases there may be clashes when commencing construction on site at the same time as another authority is constructing their service,” Mr Drossinis said.
“For example, I have recently been working on a project in South Melbourne in which we were scheduled to commence sewer works on a specific date.
“However, Citipower advised they were completing their works for the site in the same area as our sewer works, [which] required us to reschedule our works to another date.”
Today’s challenges demand smart urban planning and engineering expertise, particularly in places like Melbourne where a large number of sites are heritage listed.
“We have completed many projects in which the land of the site may be classified as heritage listed or even may have cultural heritage artifacts within the site,” Mr Drossinis said.
If an artifact is found on site during construction, then this would hinder the project delivery because crews are not allowed to work on the site – so it’s essential that Lanco Group has all the information to help utilities plan ahead.
“The first thing the team do is conduct a property report search on the lot to see if it’s within an Aboriginal cultural heritage area.
“If the site is found to be within an Aboriginal cultural heritage area, then we would normally complete an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment to determine if a Cultural Heritage Management Plan is necessary for the site,” Mr Drossinis said
With more than 27 years of experience in the water sector, Lanco Group is a trusted partner to utilities, councils, and developers across Victoria and as well as a growing number in other parts of Australia.
The company specialises in civil infrastructure design, hydraulic and drainage services, project management, contract administration, construction auditing, and technical drafting – but what really sets it apart is its people.
Mr Drossinis explained that the team take a tailored, collaborative approach to align with each client’s unique needs and solve problems as they arise.
“I’m always learning something new every day,” he said.
“I like the challenges of complex projects, [and I enjoy] helping clients. [I’m proud to help] enable Melbourne’s water and sewer infrastructure to grow for future generations.”
