In 2013, Devon Meadows Primary School was operating with a sand filter system that had reached the end of its service life. The system was leaching into the groundwater and causing surfacing on the school oval, creating an ongoing wastewater management concern.

Drawing on its extensive experience in school wastewater infrastructure, Diston Wastewater identified an opportunity to provide a more practical and cost-effective long-term solution. Diston obtained EPA works approval, then designed and constructed a new wastewater treatment plant with a deep sewer invert. This important design decision allowed a gravity sewer network to be installed around the entire school, removing the need for multiple makeshift pump wells throughout the grounds. The result was a simpler and more reliable system that reduced ongoing maintenance costs, avoided unnecessary pumping infrastructure, and improved health and safety by removing potential wastewater risks from high-use school areas.

In 2025, a kindergarten was added to the school complex. After more than a decade of operation, Diston’s treatment plant was still performing reliably and consistently producing safe, high-quality effluent, with no incidents affecting human health. This outcome reflects the strength of the original design and the ongoing maintenance carried out by Diston Wastewater.

Diston sought EPA approval to connect the new kindergarten to the existing wastewater treatment plant. Taking into account the proven performance of the system, EPA approved the connection of the kindergarten wastewater into the existing plant.

In line with Victorian School Building Authority guidelines, Diston also sought to relocate effluent reuse away from the school oval and into more suitable areas. Diston Tree Reuse Cells were implemented to further improve safety, while also creating an attractive landscaped separation between the school and the kindergarten.