Skip to main content
24/7 Emergency Plumber
0452 188 420
Pulse Plumbing & Gas
Emergency
QBCC Licensed — Civil Plumbing Contractor

Sewer Construction & Connections — QLD

New sewer main installation, sewer connections to lots, manhole construction, pump stations, gravity sewer design and pressure sewer systems across Brisbane, Logan and Gold Coast. Compliant with Queensland Urban Utilities and SEQ Water standards, with full CCTV inspection and infrastructure agreement documentation.

Submit an RFQ Request Capability Statement
Sewer Construction Capability

Sewer construction and connections for subdivisions and civil projects

We construct gravity sewer reticulation mains, perform sewer connections to lots, build manholes, install sewage pump stations, rising mains and pressure sewer systems for residential subdivisions, commercial precincts and civil infrastructure projects across South-East Queensland. Our delivery is compliant with WSAA WSA 02:2014, AS/NZS 3500.2, and the Queensland Urban Utilities and SEQ Water distributor-retailer infrastructure standards.

We manage the full documentation sequence required to progress through your infrastructure agreement — from design approval through CCTV inspection of new mains, pressure testing and GPS as-constructed survey to conditional acceptance by the distributor-retailer.

Civil contractors and developers can engage us as a licensed civil plumbing subcontractor under their head contract. We provide a fixed-price or schedule-of-rates subcontract, attend all hold points and witnessed inspections, and deliver the complete sewer documentation package.

New sewer main installation

DN100–DN375 UPVC gravity sewer reticulation to WSA 02:2014. Full infrastructure agreement documentation for Queensland Urban Utilities, Logan Water and Unitywater.

Sewer connections to lots

Individual property sewer connections to reticulation network to AS/NZS 3500.2 and QUU standards. Road opening permits, traffic control and pavement reinstatement managed.

Manhole construction

Precast concrete manholes to AS 1379, inspection openings and junction structures. Infiltration testing and condition inspection prior to distributor-retailer handover.

Pump stations & pressure sewer systems

Sewage pump stations and pressure sewer systems to distributor-retailer standard specs. UPVC and HDPE rising mains with air valves and isolation valves.

CCTV inspection of new mains

Crawler CCTV of all gravity mains prior to handover. WRC defect coding, condition reports and rectification works to QUU and SEQ Water requirements.

Our sewer construction process

How we manage sewer construction from design approval to distributor-retailer handover.

01

Design review & approvals

We review or prepare sewer reticulation designs against WSA 02:2014 and the relevant distributor-retailer's infrastructure standards (Queensland Urban Utilities Infrastructure Standards, Logan Water or Unitywater specifications). For design-and-construct, we engage a civil engineer to prepare hydraulic and structural design documentation and manage the submission through the distributor-retailer's works approval process. Gravity sewer design, pump station design and pressure sewer system specifications are all assessed against applicable SEQ Water standards before commencement.

02

Gravity sewer installation

Gravity sewer mains are installed in accordance with WSA 02:2014 and AS/NZS 3500.2 using UPVC sewer pipe to AS/NZS 1260. Trench excavation and bedding are completed to structural design requirements. Manholes are constructed using precast concrete rings to AS 1379 or approved proprietary systems. Minimum cover is maintained throughout, with casing pipes used where required under roads and services.

03

Sewer connections to lots

Individual sewer connections to lots (house connections) and new property connections to the reticulation network are installed in accordance with AS/NZS 3500.2 and Queensland Urban Utilities standards. We coordinate road opening permits, manage traffic control during live road connections and reinstate road surfaces to the road authority's requirements. All connections are documented on as-constructed plans.

04

Pump stations, rising mains & pressure sewer systems

Where gravity drainage is not achievable, we design and construct sewage pump stations (SPS) and pressure sewer systems to the distributor-retailer's standard specifications. Pressure sewer systems — using individual property grinder pumps connected to a common rising main — are designed and installed where deep gravity sewers are not economically viable. Wet well dimensions, pump selection, emergency storage and pressure sewer system controls are designed in accordance with WSA 02:2014 and SEQ Water guidelines.

05

CCTV inspection, manhole construction & handover

Prior to distributor-retailer handover, every gravity sewer main is CCTV inspected using a crawler camera and coded to WRC defect coding standards. Manholes are constructed, inspected and tested for infiltration. Rising mains are hydrostatically pressure-tested to 1.5× operating pressure. CCTV footage, defect reports, pressure test certificates, manhole inspection records and as-constructed drawings (GPS survey, MGA94, 12d format) are compiled for the Queensland Urban Utilities or relevant distributor-retailer infrastructure agreement submission.

Standards & compliance

Sewer construction in Queensland must satisfy the WSAA Sewerage Code (WSA 02:2014), AS/NZS 3500.2, and the Queensland Urban Utilities and SEQ Water distributor-retailer design and construction standards. We deliver to all applicable standards and provide documentation to satisfy every hold point.

WSA 02:2014
WSAA Sewerage Code
Design, materials and construction of sewer reticulation systems in SEQ
AS/NZS 3500.2
Sanitary Plumbing & Drainage
Installation of sanitary plumbing and drainage systems
AS/NZS 1260
UPVC Pipes & Fittings for Drain & Sewer
Material standard for UPVC sewer pipe and fittings
QUU Infrastructure
Queensland Urban Utilities Standards
Distributor-retailer specific construction requirements and approved materials for SEQ
SEQ Water Standards
SEQ Distributor-Retailer Guidelines
Logan Water, Unitywater and Gold Coast Water infrastructure standards supplementing WSA 02:2014
WRC Defect Coding
CCTV Pipe Condition Assessment
International standard for coding CCTV inspection defects in sewer mains prior to handover

Sewer construction FAQs

Common questions from developers, civil contractors and project managers about sewer construction and connections in SE Queensland.

What pipe materials are used for gravity sewer construction in Queensland?
The standard pipe material for gravity sewer reticulation in South-East Queensland is unplasticised PVC sewer pipe (UPVC) to AS/NZS 1260, in either rubber-ring joint (RRJ) or solvent cement joint configurations. UPVC DN100 to DN375 is used for the majority of residential and commercial reticulation gravity mains, and must appear on the relevant distributor-retailer's approved materials list — either Queensland Urban Utilities, Logan Water, Unitywater or Gold Coast Water. For larger-diameter gravity mains and where higher structural loads are present, glass-reinforced concrete (GRC) or reinforced concrete (RC) pipe may be specified. Where trenchless installation is required (pipe bursting, horizontal directional drilling, microtunnelling), HDPE is the preferred pipe material. All pipe and fitting selection is cross-checked against the applicable SEQ Water standard before ordering.
Do you design and install pressure sewer systems as well as gravity sewers?
Yes — pressure sewer systems are part of our civil sewer scope. A pressure sewer system uses individual grinder pumps installed at each property, connected via a small-diameter rising main to a common receiving sewer or pump station. They are used in situations where the site topography, soil conditions or distance to the gravity network make a conventional gravity sewer design uneconomical. Pressure sewer systems are designed in accordance with WSA 02:2014 and the relevant distributor-retailer's pressure sewer specifications — Queensland Urban Utilities, Logan Water and Unitywater all have their own approved pressure sewer system guidelines that determine pump unit type, rising main diameter, flow control and alarm requirements. We design, supply and install pressure sewer systems and manage the infrastructure agreement documentation required for distributor-retailer acceptance.
What CCTV inspection is required before sewer infrastructure handover to Queensland Urban Utilities?
Prior to Queensland Urban Utilities (or other SEQ distributor-retailer) accepting sewer reticulation infrastructure, CCTV inspection of all gravity mains is required. The crawler camera inspects the pipe from manhole to manhole, recording the condition on video and coding any defects using WRC (Water Research Centre) defect coding standards. Defects are classified by type and severity. Any structural defects — joint displacement greater than 30% of the pipe diameter, cracking, deformation — must be rectified before the infrastructure agreement can proceed to conditional acceptance. Manholes are also inspected for infiltration and structural integrity, and new rising mains are pressure-tested. Pulse Plumbing & Gas manages the CCTV inspection, defect coding report and any required rectification works as part of our civil sewer construction package, with all documentation formatted to Queensland Urban Utilities and SEQ Water requirements.
When is a sewage pump station required and what are the design requirements?
A sewage pump station (SPS) is required when the topography of a development area prevents gravity drainage to the existing sewer network. This occurs when the development site is lower than the downstream manhole invert, or when the distance to the downstream connection point is too great to achieve minimum grade without unreasonably deep excavation. The decision to use a pump station is an economic and operational one — pump stations have higher ongoing maintenance costs and introduce a risk of overflow if power or pumps fail. Pump stations are designed to the distributor-retailer's standard SPS specification, which supplements WSA 02:2014 and sets requirements for wet well volume, pump duty/standby configuration, emergency storage, electrical supply redundancy and control panel specification. Queensland Urban Utilities and Logan Water each publish their own standard pump station specification. We prepare design documentation to this specification and manage the infrastructure agreement submission through to conditional acceptance.
Can you manage a live sewer connection without causing a sewer overflow?
Live sewer connections are managed using bypass pumping where the connection point is in a manhole with active flow. The bypass pump is sized to handle at least 150% of the estimated peak wet-weather flow at the connection point. We use inflatable stoppers or mechanical plugs to isolate the section of main being worked on, and the bypass pump is monitored continuously to prevent overflow. Our crew holds site-specific SWMS for live sewer connections compliant with the WHS Act 2011 (QLD) and notifies the distributor-retailer's network operations centre prior to commencing work. The connection process, isolation sequence and bypass pumping are documented and included in the as-constructed documentation package submitted to Queensland Urban Utilities or the relevant SEQ Water distributor-retailer upon completion.
Civil Services

Other civil plumbing services

View all civil services →
Water Mains

Installation, extension, live tie-ins and pressure testing. WSA 03:2011 compliant with full infrastructure agreement documentation.

Stormwater

Underground pipe networks, kerb drainage, WSUD treatment trains and GPT installation to AS/NZS 3500.3.

Infrastructure Maintenance

Programmed CCTV condition assessment, high-pressure jetting, emergency response and trenchless rehabilitation. WSA 05:2013 aligned.

Civil Enquiries

Submit a project enquiry

Whether you're tendering a subdivision, seeking a subcontractor for an infrastructure project, or need a maintenance contractor for an existing network — tell us about the scope and we'll respond with our capability and availability within one business day.

0452 188 420
Civil enquiries — business hours
admin@pulseqld.com.au
Include project brief for a faster response
QBCC Licensed
Civil Plumbing & Drainage
WSAA Compliant
WSA 02, 03, 05
WHS Documented
SWMS — all high-risk work
GPS As-Constructeds
MGA94 / 12d format

Project Enquiry Form

We respond to civil enquiries within one business day.

Your details are used solely to respond to your enquiry. We do not share them with third parties.