Sewage Pumping Station 271 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sewage Pumping Station 271 |
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Sewage Pumping Station 271, Carrington Road, Marrickville, New South Wales
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| Location | Carrington Road, Marrickville, Inner West Council, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Architect | Public Works Department |
| Owner | Sydney Water |
| Official name: Sewage Pumping Station 271; SPS 271 | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 18 November 1999 |
| Reference no. | 1342 |
| Type | Sewage Pump House/Pumping Station |
| Category | Utilities - Sewerage |
| Builders | Public Works Dept. |
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Sewage Pumping Station 271, also known as SPS 271, is a special building in Marrickville, Sydney, Australia. It's a heritage-listed sewage pumping station. This means it's an important historical site.
The station helps move wastewater and stormwater. It was designed and built by the New South Wales Public Works Department. Today, Sydney Water owns and operates it. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on November 18, 1999.
Contents
What is a Pumping Station?
A pumping station is like a giant heart for a city's water system. It helps move water or wastewater from lower areas to higher areas. This is important because water naturally flows downhill. But sometimes, we need it to go uphill!
Sewage pumping stations move wastewater through pipes. This wastewater then goes to treatment plants. There, it is cleaned before being released back into the environment.
A Look Back in Time
In 1889, a new group called the Board of Water Supply and Sewerage took over water services. Before this, stormwater (from rain) and sewage (wastewater) often mixed. The new board started to separate these.
They built large systems to carry sewage away. One system went to Bondi and released treated water into the ocean. Another system went to a special farm in Botany.
To move wastewater from low areas, they built pumping stations. The Carrington Road Pumping Station (SPS 271) was built in the late 1890s. It started working in 1900.
Today, SPS 271 still helps areas like Marrickville and Newtown. It pumps wastewater from low-lying sewers. It also helps manage stormwater from the Cooks River during high tides.
What Does SPS 271 Look Like?
The Marrickville SPS complex has a few parts. It includes a building for the boiler and engine, a tall chimney stack, and a house.
The House
The house is a two-story brick building. It was designed in the Federation Queen Anne style. This style was popular around the time Australia became a nation. It has nice timber details.
The Pumping Station Building
The main pumping station building is also made of brick. It has a classic Federation Romanesque style. This style uses strong, round arches.
You can see decorative buttresses on the sides. These are like supports that stick out from the wall. The windows are round-headed and have arches made of sandstone. The walls and gables (the triangular parts of the roof) have cool patterns.
The building originally had a slate roof. Now it has terracotta tiles. The roofs also have "monitors." These are raised sections with louvres (slats) that help with air flow.
Inside the engine house, you can see a special roof structure. It's called a Warren truss. This is a strong, hand-made frame. There's also an old hand-operated crane. This crane was used to lift heavy equipment.
The Chimney Stack
The chimney stack is very noticeable. It's made of different colored bricks. It starts with a square base and then becomes an octagon shape. It has a fancy top. This chimney is a well-known landmark in the area.
The station buildings are in great shape. They still look much like they did when they were first built.
Why is SPS 271 Important?
SPS 271 is very special for several reasons:
- Beautiful Design: It shows off amazing architecture from the Federation period. It's considered one of the most beautiful pumping stations in Sydney.
- Unique Technology: This station is one of only three of its kind. It can handle both sewage and stormwater. This was very advanced for its time.
- Historical Value: It has old equipment, like a Blackstone diesel pump from around 1920. This pump used to be steam-powered until 1954.
- Long-lasting: It's one of the oldest pumping stations still working today. It continues to help manage wastewater for Sydney.
Sewage Pumping Station 271 was officially recognized as a heritage site on November 18, 1999.
