Sewer Pump Station Service & Maintenance SWMS
A Safe Work Method Statement for sewer pump station service & maintenance covering all key hazards, controls and regulatory requirements. This is classified as high-risk construction work under WHS Regulation 2025.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Sewer pump station servicing covers the maintenance and servicing of wastewater pump stations — inspecting, cleaning, servicing and repairing the pumps, controls and wet well that lift wastewater where it cannot drain by gravity. It is wastewater service work whose defining hazards are the confined space of the wet well, the toxic and flammable gases it generates, the biological hazards of the wastewater, and the electrical work on the pumps and controls. The wet well is a dangerous confined space that can be immediately dangerous to life. This document is written on the basis that pump station servicing is carried out using no-entry methods wherever possible, with any entry following the confined space controls and the electrical work by a licensed electrician.
Sewer pump station servicing is wastewater service work carried out in connection with AS/NZS 3500.2 and the network utility's or authority's requirements. The wet well is a confined space that can be oxygen-deficient and contain toxic and flammable gases such as hydrogen sulphide and methane, so servicing is carried out from the surface without entry wherever possible, and any entry follows the confined spaces Code of Practice. The pump and control electrical work is carried out by a licensed electrician. This document coordinates the no-entry, confined-space, biological, electrical and disposal controls so the pump station is serviced safely.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Asphyxiation or poisoning, often without warning, in the wet well
Poisoning or fire from gases in the wet well
Immediately dangerous to life from the confined-space atmosphere
Infection and illness from contact with the wastewater
Electric shock where pump and control work is carried out without isolation
Engulfment in the wastewater in the wet well
Crush and musculoskeletal injury lifting pumps and equipment
Multiple fatalities where would-be rescuers enter the wet well
Pressure release and uncontrolled flow during testing
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: service the pump station from the surface using no-entry methods — retrieving pumps by their lifting systems and servicing from the surface — so workers do not enter the wet well at all.
- 2Administrative: where entry into the wet well is unavoidable, apply the confined space entry permit, continuous atmospheric testing for oxygen, hydrogen sulphide and methane, ventilation, a standby person and documented rescue arrangements to the confined spaces Code of Practice.
- 3Administrative: never rely on unplanned entry for rescue, recognising that the wet well is immediately dangerous to life, and maintain documented rescue arrangements.
- 4Administrative: isolate and have the pump and control electrical work carried out by a licensed electrician with the supply isolated, coordinating the work.
- 5Administrative: manage the biological hazard with hygiene controls, washing facilities, gloves and protective clothing, and prohibition of eating, drinking and smoking until decontaminated.
- 6Engineering: use mechanical lifting and rated equipment to retrieve and service pumps, and control the pump start-up and rising main pressure during testing.
- 7PPE: appropriate respiratory protection where atmospheric hazards require it, and protective clothing against wastewater contact, per AS/NZS 1715 and AS/NZS 1716.
- 8Administrative: ensure the work is carried out and certified by an appropriately licensed plumber under the relevant state or territory plumbing licensing scheme, with the backflow, testing or other endorsement required and a compliance or test certificate issued where required.
- 9Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001) where the work is construction work, with the plumbing competencies and any backflow, confined space or testing endorsements required for the work.
- 10Administrative: conduct a pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, isolations, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
- 11Administrative: consult workers and any health and safety representatives on the work and its risks, record the consultation, and keep this document available at the workplace.
- 12PPE: eye protection to AS/NZS 1337.1, hearing protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
- 13Administrative: review and update this SWMS whenever the work scope changes, after any incident or near miss, when a worker or health and safety representative raises a concern, when new hazards are identified, or at minimum every 12 months.
Applicable Codes of Practice
The sanitary plumbing and drainage standard for the wastewater pump station.
Atmospheric testing, ventilation, entry permit and rescue controls where the work involves entry into a confined space.
Electrical safety and isolation for any electrical work, carried out by a licensed electrician.
The standard supporting safe working in confined spaces, including atmospheric testing and entry procedures.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the hazards of the work.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Where sewer pump station servicing requires entry into the wet well — a confined space that can be oxygen-deficient or have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere — the work is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS before the work commences.
This is licensed plumbing work that, in the circumstances described, is high risk construction work — in or near a confined space — so a SWMS must be prepared before the work commences, kept readily accessible, reviewed as necessary, and given to the principal contractor if one is appointed. The work is carried out to the relevant AS/NZS 3500 plumbing and drainage standards, AS/NZS 1547 for on-site wastewater, and the confined space requirements, which are called up by the relevant legislation, with the confined-space, biological and electrical controls applied as relevant. A failure in this work can cause serious injury, an atmospheric incident or harm to the water supply, and breaches of the relevant legislation and the primary duty of care under the model WHS Act are actively enforced, with offence categories running from failure-to-comply through to reckless conduct, and the most serious breaches carrying imprisonment for individuals. Body-corporate maxima are substantial and indexed; the current maximum follows the prevailing schedule of the responsible regulator.
Who this is for
- →Wastewater service operators servicing sewer pump stations.
- →Pump and mechanical contractors maintaining pump stations.
- →Plumbing and drainage businesses providing pump station servicing.
- →Network utilities, developers and PCBUs maintaining pump stations.
- →PCBU safety managers and supervisors coordinating the no-entry, confined-space and electrical controls.
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word document (.docx) fully compatible with Microsoft Word 2016 and newer, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer.
- ✓Title page with editable fields for PCBU name, ABN, site address, project name, principal contractor details, and document revision date.
- ✓Hazard register with the sewer pump station servicing hazards — each with a documented consequence, inherent risk rating on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix, hierarchy-of-control measures, and residual risk rating.
- ✓Sewer pump station servicing prompts referencing AS/NZS 3500.2, a no-entry-first and confined-space entry section, an electrical-coordination section, and a biological-hazard and decontamination record.
- ✓Licensing, accreditation and test-certificate prompts for the relevant plumbing, backflow and testing scheme, and a respiratory protection selection and fit-test record per AS/NZS 1715 where relevant.
- ✓Worker consultation record per the model WHS Act consultation duty and a worker sign-on register (blank, expandable).
- ✓Applicable legislation and Codes of Practice schedule pre-populated for the model WHS jurisdiction with a state-variance reference table covering the harmonised states, plus Victoria.
- ✓Emergency procedure template and a revision log.
Worked example
A wastewater service operator is engaged to service a sewer pump station. The pumps are retrieved by their lifting systems and serviced from the surface using no-entry methods, so workers do not enter the wet well, recognising that the wet well is immediately dangerous to life. Entry into the wet well is not made; where entry were unavoidable, the confined space entry permit, continuous atmospheric testing for oxygen, hydrogen sulphide and methane, ventilation, a standby person and documented rescue arrangements would apply, with rescue never relying on unplanned entry. The pump and control electrical work is isolated and carried out by a licensed electrician. The biological hazard is managed with hygiene controls, washing facilities and protective clothing, and no eating or drinking until decontaminated, with respiratory protection where required. The pumps are retrieved and serviced using rated lifting equipment, and the pump start-up and rising main pressure controlled during testing. The operator confirms the station is serviced and functioning, and retains the records.
Related legislation
- Model Work Health and Safety Act — primary duty of care; the duty to consult workers; the reckless-conduct offence; and notifiable-incident provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Model Work Health and Safety Regulations — Section 291 high risk construction work and the SWMS preparation and review duties, and the confined space provisions where applicable, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- The relevant plumbing and drainage standards AS/NZS 3500 (Parts 0–5), AS/NZS 1547 for on-site wastewater, the AS 4032 and AS 1357 valve standards, AS/NZS 2845.3 for backflow field testing, and AS 1851 for fire-system service, are called up by the state and territory plumbing and building safety legislation, together with the requirements of the relevant network utility.
- Plumbing work is licensed under each state and territory's plumbing licensing scheme, with backflow and testing accreditation required for that work, and compliance or test certification required for notifiable work; electrical work is carried out by a licensed electrician.
- Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the high risk construction work and confined space provisions applying in place of the model instruments.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a sewer pump station wet well dangerous?
The wet well of a sewer pump station is a confined space that can be oxygen-deficient and contain toxic hydrogen sulphide and flammable methane, making it immediately dangerous to life. Entry into a wet well has killed both workers and would-be rescuers, which is why servicing is carried out from the surface without entry wherever possible.
Can a pump station be serviced without entering the wet well?
Yes — and that is the preferred approach. The pumps are retrieved by their lifting systems and serviced from the surface using no-entry methods, so workers do not enter the wet well. Entry is only ever made where it is genuinely unavoidable, and then only under a confined space entry permit with full atmospheric, ventilation, standby and rescue controls.
Who carries out the electrical work on the pumps?
The pump and control electrical work is isolated and carried out by a licensed electrician with the supply isolated, coordinating the work, because it is electrical work. The service operator services the pump station, and the electrical work is carried out by the appropriate licensed electrical practitioner with the supply isolated.
Why is rescue planning critical for pump station servicing?
Many confined space fatalities involve would-be rescuers who enter a wet well to help a collapsed worker and are themselves overcome. For that reason rescue never relies on unplanned entry: documented rescue arrangements, a standby person and retrieval equipment are in place before any entry, so a rescue can be carried out without endangering further workers.
How are the pumps retrieved and serviced?
The pumps are retrieved by their lifting systems and serviced from the surface using mechanical lifting and rated equipment, so workers do not enter the wet well. Retrieving and servicing the pumps from the surface, with the pump start-up and rising main pressure controlled during testing, allows the station to be serviced without entering the dangerous confined space.