Rising main project to enhance waste centre leachate treatment

Published on 07 July 2022

The Launceston Waste Centre's capacity to safely divert leachate and wastewater for treatment will be enhanced by the construction of a new $700,000 rising main.

Leachate is the liquid created when rainwater filters through the organic waste captured in landfill cells. 

If handled incorrectly, it can be harmful to the environment. 

More than 1.5km of 110mm HDPE pipe is currently being installed to expand the facility's existing wastewater diversion infrastructure.

Once complete, there will be two links to treatment facilities at Ti Tree Bend where previously there had been only one.

At peak operation, the new system will be capable of pumping 10 litres of leachate per second.

Launceston Acting Mayor Danny Gibson said the additional pipeline would also build redundancy into the facility's leachate diversion system.

"With the construction of new landfill cells at the Launceston Waste Centre in recent decades, the way we manage leachate from those cells is more important than ever," Cr Gibson said.

"The investment in the new pipeline will ensure the facility has additional capacity to safely divert leachate to treatment facilities and to prevent leachate from escaping into the natural environment."

It's expected the project will be complete by the end of August, weather permitting.