A five-storey underground wet well has now been sealed, as Unitywater navigates period of unprecedented growth for the Waraba region.
A 350t crane lifted a 35t slab into place to seal off the well, which marks an important milestone for Unitywater’s Waraba Wastewater Network Project.
The new asset, along with more than 4.5km of wastewater pipeline, has been designed to support approximately 30,000 lots and up to 70,000 residents expected to call Waraba (West Caboolture) home within the next 40 years. That is a wastewater network with capacity to process the equivalent of more than three million toilet flushes per day.
Unitywater Principal Project Manager, Victor Cabrera, said the sealing of the wet well was a momentous part of the project, which demonstrated being “one step closer” to providing essential wastewater services to the new community.
“We are grateful to our neighbours here in Caboolture and our delivery partners, Killard Tallai Joint Venture (KTJV), for working so closely with us as deliver this growth-supporting infrastructure,” Mr Cabrera said.
“The wet well is a 15m-deep (equivalent to five storeys) storage chamber that helps us manage the flow of wastewater to the pump station during peak periods, which means we can maintain a consistent downstream flow and break down any solids that might be present in the wastewater,” he said.
“From there, wastewater is pumped through to the South Caboolture Wastewater Treatment Plant where it is cleaned and disinfected before being released into our waterways as part of the urban water cycle.
“In peak wet weather events, the wet well will be able to process up to 381L of wastewater per second.”
KTJV Senior Project Engineer, Josh Pearson, said the wet well portion of the Waraba Wastewater Network project took significant efforts in planning and execution.
“The placement of the rooftop slab to seal the wet well required significant technical expertise – from the type of crane needed, to the precise dimensions of its pour and placement,” Mr Pearson said.
“To allow for maximum accuracy and efficiency, the delivery team poured the 35-tonne concrete slab directly adjacent to the wet well site and then utilised a 350-tonne crane to lift and place,” he said.
Mr Cabrera said construction on the project began in May 2024 and was due for completion in late 2025.
