Works in your area expected to start in September 2025

Some customers in the Arcadia Estate in Officer have reported a sewage smell that comes and goes in the area. This odour appears to be coming from our Officer South Sewer Pump Station, located on the corner of the Princes Freeway and Officer South Road.

We’re sorry for any potential odour and understand how unpleasant this might have been at times. We’ve already taken steps to minimise any unpleasant odour, and we have more solutions underway.

If you experience the smell in the area again, please report it using the Snap Send Solve app or by calling our Faults and Emergencies team (24 hours) on 132 182.

To help us proactively manage this issue, please let us know:

  • Where you can detect the smell.
  • The direction it’s coming from.
  • Whether you’ve only smelled the odour once, or more often than this. If more often, what time of day is it noticeable and for how long?

What we’re doing

  • From late 2024, we increased chemical treatment of sewage going through the pump station to help reduce any odour present. We’ve also adjusted the pump station’s ventilation schedule.
  • We know these solutions may not be enough, so we’re now in the planning stages for a temporary odour control system. This system will be in place until the site’s permanent odour control system is upgraded in 2027. 

When it’s happening

We’re aiming for the temporary odour control system to be installed around mid-September 2025.

We’ll provide project updates on this web page and notify residents in the area once these works are confirmed.

We’re also planning upgrade works to the site’s permanent odour control system. This upgrade is scheduled for 2027 – we’ll share more details as they’re confirmed. 

Where we’ll be working

Source: Map data © 2022 Google MyMaps

Frequently Asked Questions

A sewer pump station safely takes sewage away and protects your health. We have 278 sewer pump stations across the south-east.

If you live in the Officer area, the Officer South Sewer Pump Station is the central collection point for your wastewater. This includes the waste produced when you flush a toilet, have a shower or use a dishwasher.

More info: Visit our sewerage page. 

The temporary odour control system will connect to the facility’s existing ventilation equipment. The system will treat odour using an activated carbon filter. The treated air will then be discharged via the sewer pump station's 15-metre vent stack.