30 Sep 2025
Future-proofing the city: Hobart’s sewer upgrade surges ahead
Under the bitumen and behind the barricades, more than 1.5 kilometres of pipe have been installed as Hobart’s hidden sewer system undergoes a historic transformation.
This pipeline will connect the new Macquarie Point Pump Station to the upgraded Selfs Point Sewage Treatment Plant at New Town Bay - marking a significant step forward in future-proofing Hobart’s sewer infrastructure for generations to come.
Pipeline progress
Work on the new pipeline linking Macquarie Point to Selfs Point is steadily advancing, with more than 1.5 km of the 4.3 kms already laid - more than a third of the route. Once operational, the pipeline will transfer nearly five Olympic-sized swimming pools of wastewater every day from the Macquarie Point Pump station to the Selfs Point Sewage Treatment Plant.
Macquarie Point
Major excavation is now complete, with more than 10,000 tonnes of soil removed to make way for the new underground pump station. Once complete, the existing Macquarie Point Sewage Treatment Plant will be decommissioned and replaced with a compact, state-of-the-art pump station while the Selfs Point Sewage Treatment Plant construction is underway for upgrade and expansion.
Selfs Point
The concrete base for the first digester tank, one of the site’s largest structures, has been poured. This tank will use natural bacteria to break down sewage sludge, reducing waste and producing reusable material while helping protect Hobart’s waterways. Work has also substantially progressed on the above ground structures including the inlet, primary settling tank and membrane bioreactor. Once complete, these upgrades will improve environmental outcomes by removing 132 tonnes of nitrogen and phosphorus from the River Derwent.
TasWater’s General Manager Project Delivery Tony Willmott said the next stage of pipeline construction will bring increased activity and temporary road closures to two key arterial roads from early to mid-October.
“Due to challenging ground conditions and remnants of previous road infrastructure beneath the current highway, earlier attempts to use micro tunnelling were unsuccessful. As a result, more extensive excavation and trenching are now required to complete the works. To ensure safety and efficiency, temporary road closures are the only viable option for carrying out this phase of construction,” Mr Willmott said.
“On the Domain Highway, between the Tasman Bridge and Brooker Highway, a mix of full and single-lane closures will occur from 3-6 October. Travel from Glenorchy into the city via Domain Highway won’t be possible – access is only available from the city or Eastern Shore during the single lane closure.”
“Queens Walk will be closed between Bellevue Parade and Domain Highway from 1-10 October.
“While some delays are inevitable, closure times and dates have been coordinated to cause as little disruption as possible. We encourage motorists to plan ahead and visit our website for more information.”
The project is providing an estimated 3,420 direct and indirect jobs and generating an estimated $1.1 billion worth of economic activity in the state.
TasWater is investing $2 billion in its network over the next five years to ensure it can continue to deliver exceptional water and sewerage services for a thriving Tasmania.