Replacing Centuries of Drains

December 2020

In the process of completing Main Drainage Upgrades within the heart of Fremantle, DM Civil uncovered a rare glimpse of drainage history. An 1800’s two foot by eleven-inch timber box drain used as the way to remove stormwater off the street and out to the swan river, solving a severe sanitation issue at the time. The timber box drainage line was decommissioned when the 675RC main was installed in early-1900’s which DM Civil is now upgrading in 2020/21. It is safe to say that design has come a long way from the timber drainage line, however the longevity of the timber was remarkable even under a major roads loading. The dedicated Archaeologist team took over and recorded the find before the State’s Heritage Department gave DM Civil the green light to remove and install our new drain.

DM Civil have completed 130m of 900RC pipes and 100m of 1800×900 Reinforced Box Culverts with a tie-in to an existing chamber to create a new outlet to the harbour. The works completed have been done to an extremely high quality and DM Civil are proud to now be connected with this piece of history for many more centuries to come.

We will return in the winter of 2021 to complete another complex part of the works at the railway crossing.