Slab marks Waraba milestone

A giant crane has lifted a 35-tonne slab into place at Waraba marking an important landmark in Unitywater’s Waste Water Project.

The huge slab, hosted up and positioned by a 350-tonne crane, sealed off a five-story underground wet well.

The new asset – and more than 4.5km of wastewater pipeline - will support 30,000 lots and up to 70,000 residents as Waraba (West Caboolture) develops over the next 40 years.

That is a wastewater network with capacity to process the equivalent of more than three million toilet flushes per day.

“The wet well is a 15-metre-deep storage chamber that helps manage the flow of wastewater to the pump station during peak periods,” Unitywater Principal Project Manager Victor Cabrera said said.

“Which means we can maintain a consistent downstream flow and break down any solids that might be present in the wastewater.

“From there, wastewater is pumped to the South Caboolture Wastewater Treatment Plant where it is cleaned and disinfected before being released into waterways as part of the urban water cycle.

“In peak wet weather events, the wet well will be able to process up to 381 litres of wastewater per second.”

KTJV Senior Project Engineer Josh Pearson said the wet well portion of the Waraba Wastewater Network project took significant planning.

“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,” he said.

“To allow maximum accuracy and efficiency, the delivery team poured the 35-tonne concrete slab directly adjacent to the wet well site and then used a 350-tonne crane to lift and place.

Construction began in May 2024 and is due for completion in late 2025.

Visit www.communityhub.unitywater.com/caboolture-west-wastewater-network