UEA Nominated as Finalist in ASTT 2025 Awards for Vaucluse HDD Project

UEA is proud to announce that the Refresh Vaucluse & Diamond Bay HDD project, delivered in collaboration with Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure and Herrenknecht, has been named a finalist in the ASTT 2025 Awards under the New Installation Project of the Year category. Being named a finalist is a significant achievement for UEA and our partners. It reflects not only the technical excellence of the Vaucluse HDD project but also the teamwork, planning, and dedication required to deliver such a vital piece of infrastructure for the community. We are honoured to be recognised alongside such outstanding finalists from across the industry.

In 2018, the NSW Government committed to addressing the three ocean outfalls on the Vaucluse peninsula, which were the last on the NSW coast discharging untreated wastewater into the ocean. A key part of the solution involved transferring wastewater flows to the Bondi Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). To achieve this, a 1.85km on-grade wastewater pressure pipeline was installed between Parsley Bay and Rose Bay at depths of up to 60 metres. This was one of the most complex Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) projects ever undertaken by Sydney Water.

UEA was engaged to manage the HDD scope, including design verification and delivery of the works. Mobilisation into the tight Parsley Bay Reserve site required careful planning and community consultation to ensure equipment could be transported and works carried out with minimal disruption. The pilot bore, completed in less than 30 working days, became UEA’s longest on-grade bore to date. Following this, the 355mm PN25 pipeline was installed in sections, with teams working continuously over 16 days to complete the challenging weld and pull operation.

Despite major challenges such as groundwater inflows, constrained worksites, and even a 1:500-year rain event, the project was delivered on time, under budget, and without any lost time injuries.