As most Hamilton and Ascot residents have been aware, the existing S1 sewer main that runs under Kingsford Smith Drive is too small for the growing demands of Brisbane.
Urban Utilities has now confirmed it is at capacity and millions of megalitres of sewerage are being discharged into the Brisbane River especially on wet days, of which we have many.
10 years ago, Urban Utilities proudly boasted in media releases along with photos (see article from our February 2016 paper) that the millions they were spending on cleaning and relining existing pipes would see them cope for another 50 years.
All the while, 30-storey buildings were popping up in Brisbane at a rapid rate.
Local engineers have told Village Voice that if the pipe was replaced before the Kingsford Smith Drive was upgraded, then the costs would have been millions less.
Finally, Urban Utilities has realised there is a problem and they have started geotechnical investigations on a string of local streets for the Albion to Hamilton – S1 Wastewater Pipeline Project, which will duplicate part of Brisbane’s largest and most densely populated sewer catchment.
A contractor is drilling boreholes, testing soil and rock, and surveying and locating underground services on Arran Avenue, Crescent Road, Dickson Terrace, Eldernell Terrace, Grays Road, Hillside Crescent, Langside Road, Markwell Street, Toorak Road, Whyenbah Street and York Street.
Investigations will run intermittently until October 2026, weather permitting.
A spokesperson for Urban Utilities said: “We are undertaking preliminary geotechnical investigations to inform planning for a future underground wastewater pipeline project in the area.”
“These investigations will help us better understand local ground conditions and are an important early step in assessing the safest and most suitable location for the new wastewater [sewerage] pipeline, which will enable us to maintain reliable wastewater [sewage] services for a growing region.”
Residents on affected streets should expect weekday works between 6.30am and 6pm, drilling noise and vibration, construction vehicles, and temporary traffic and parking changes, including “no parking” zones and partial lane and footpath closures.
The investigations form Stage 1 of the project (community engagement, geotechnical testing, surveying and design).
Stage 2 construction is scheduled for 2028–2032, using trenchless tunnelling from two temporary shafts so most work occurs deep underground.
The new pipeline will sit alongside the existing section of the S1 trunk sewer.
Village Voice asked what specific capacity thresholds triggered the project, the preliminary budget, and whether capital costs would be recovered through higher residential charges. Those questions remain unanswered.
The timing raises questions about why earlier projects did not increase the diameter of sewerage pipes while they were being relined, or while monitoring was under way.
The S1 Network already serves more than 800,000 people, more than half of Brisbane. It is forecast to serve more than one million by 2051. Urban Utilities said surplus capacity is almost fully used.
The original concrete trunk was built by miners between 1915 and 1924.
Between 2015 and 2022, Urban Utilities spent around $130 million relining a long section under James Street, Ann Street, Breakfast Creek Road and Kingsford Smith Drive to extend the pipe’s life by about 50 years, but the work did not increase the sewerage pipe diameter.
In 2024, temporary monitoring equipment was installed near Yulestar and Hunt Streets at Albion Park Raceway to track flows and performance in different seasons and weather events.
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