Every year, South East Water budgets for expenditure on a range of construction projects. The budgeting process is carefully planned to ensure that required works are prioritised so that money is spent at the right time, and in the right place.

Typical construction projects that South East Water carries out include:
 
Developing Systems

These include pipelines and pump stations, for both the water and sewerage systems. South East Water plans for development of its systems. For example, we aim to build new water supply pump stations and pipelines to service areas just in time to ensure that our customers do not experience pressure problems.
 
Renewal Works

South East Water has an ongoing program to monitor the condition of the water and sewerage pipeline networks.

• Replacement of water mains, based on their age, pipe material and service history, is carried out before customers are severely inconvenienced by repeated bursts.
• Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) inspections of sewers are made using a camera mounted on a trolley. Where justified, the sewer is replaced, using a variety of technologies.

Backlog Sewerage

There are around 25,000 properties within South East Water's area that are not served by sewerage systems. Instead, they dispose of their wastes using a variety of systems, but predominantly by septic tanks.

The problem with septic tanks is that high volumes of nutrient-rich effluent are discharged to the soil. In addition, septic tank systems are often poorly maintained, which results in even higher nutrient loads. This eventually finds its way into the groundwater, and then into creeks and then the bays. This has an impact on the environment, and potentially our health.
 
South East Water has a program to construct sewers to serve unsewered properties. This work has been programmed over 40 years, and has been prioritised to ensure that the areas in most need (eg smaller properties) are sewered first.