Plumbing & Pipeline Solutions (PPS) were engaged by Essential Water Broken Hill to demonstrate our capabilities in sewer infrastructure rehabilitation.
Essential Water had ongoing issues with concrete degradation caused by hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) gas in both their sewer pump stations and wastewater treatment plant storage tanks.
PPS conducted a full inspection of the treatment plant and pump stations, identifying that a previously applied protective coating by another contractor had failed in various areas and would need to be removed before remediation could begin.
Essential Water planned to build a new wastewater treatment plant within the next 5–7 years. Our task was to deliver a solution that would safely extend the life of the existing infrastructure within that timeframe and fit within the available budget.
Additional complexities included:
Confined space entry requirements and constant H₂S gas monitoring
Maintaining full operational capacity of pump stations and tanks throughout the project
Managing access to large tanks (10m diameter, 6m deep) without impacting ongoing plant operations
Delivering the works on a fixed schedule with minimal disruption
To address the degraded concrete, PPS selected RenoCrete — a hard-wearing, seamless, waterproof resurfacing membrane ideal for sewer environments. RenoCrete is water-based, VOC-free, environmentally friendly, and safe for potable water use.
Once repairs were completed, the tanks were sealed with RenoSeal, a spray-on, monolithic membrane known for its:
Seamless application
High elasticity and tolerance for vibration, expansion, and impact
Fast curing (tack-free within seconds)
To further reinforce areas with severe gas attack, PPS used a polymer-based concrete repair solution for long-term durability.
During works, it was discovered that control joints in one of the tanks were failing. PPS consulted with materials supplier AkzoNobel, who recommended sealing the joints with Intercrete 4872 — a flexible, tear-resistant waterproofing tape bonded using cementitious coatings (Intercrete 4840, 4841 & 4842). The centre of the tape was left uncoated to allow for natural expansion and contraction.
This solution was approved and applied prior to the RenoSeal coating to ensure long-term integrity of the structure.
In the network’s wet wells, PPS removed the failed coating using high-pressure water blasting and vacuum extraction. To maintain continuous pumping operations, we worked in one half of the wet well at a time, while the other side remained active.
All work was completed under strict confined space conditions, using breathing apparatus and real-time gas monitoring.
Concrete surfaces were fully repaired, and RenoSeal was applied to complete the rehabilitation.
To meet tight timelines and ensure minimal operational disruption:
PPS presented a fixed delivery schedule which was followed meticulously.
A purpose-built rehabilitation Pantech and all materials were delivered to site.
Crews worked on a 3-week on / 1-week off fly-in-fly-out roster over the 10-week project timeline.
Large tanks were accessed using a craned-in elevated work platform (EWP) rather than scaffolding, cutting downtime and allowing tanks to be brought back online within 2 hours.
At project completion, PPS delivered the following outcomes:
Rehabilitation of 4 wet wells in the sewer pump station network
Internal rehabilitation of 8 tanks in the treatment plant
External repair of 4 treatment plant tanks
Control joint sealing using Intercrete 4872
Guidance on future maintenance to protect asset life and flow efficiency
Due to the cost savings and efficient delivery, Essential Water reallocated remaining project funds to complete the sealing of external channels in the treatment plant — expanding the scope and enhancing infrastructure protection without exceeding budget.
This project demonstrates PPS’s ability to:
Deliver safe, reliable rehabilitation of critical sewer infrastructure
Operate effectively in confined and high-risk environments
Coordinate complex projects within tight schedules and budget constraints
We helped Essential Water extend the life of their infrastructure while ensuring full operational continuity — setting a new benchmark in sewerage asset management.
