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Mammoth Program To Secure Mitchell Drinking Water Supplies Moves Forward Apace East Gippsland Water is all set to commence a construction program worth some $26 million, comprising a major new reservoir and water treatment plant at Woodglen near Bairnsdale. By East Gippsland Water - 29th September 2008 - Back to News The two projects are part of a mammoth $45 million package of works being implemented to ensure the long term security and quality of drinking water supplies for 17,000 customers reliant on the Mitchell River Water Supply System.
The new reservoir, estimated to cost around $10 million, will supplement Woodglen’s existing 850 megalitre reservoir. Located next to the present facility, it will be capable of holding up to 650 megalitres of water (approximately 650 Olympic size swimming pools).
Preliminary work is due to start on-site before the end of September, with the building of the reservoir itself expected to commence early in 2009. The main contract for the construction work has been awarded to a local company, Riley Earthmoving and the project is expected to be completed by early 2010.
In addition, the Corporation has awarded a contract to Victorian-based water treatment specialists, CCB Envico, for the design and construction of a new water treatment plant at Woodglen, which will benefit customers from Bairnsdale through to Lakes Entrance. Estimated to cost around $16 million, this facility will operate in conjunction with existing infrastructure to treat drinking water to a consistently high standard.
Design work on the treatment plant will commence shortly, with construction due to start before the end of the year and completion expected early in 2010.
Construction of interconnecting pipe work for the two projects, valued at $725,000, will be carried out by East Gippsland-based D&P Young and Son and is scheduled to get underway in October.
The projects are being managed on behalf of East Gippsland Water by engineering specialists Maunsell AECOM, out of its local Bairnsdale office.
These initiatives are being driven by the need to address the potential impacts of increasingly extreme weather events like severe drought, floods and devastating bushfires on precious water resources.
The Mitchell River Water Supply System extends eastwards from Glenaladale to Nowa Nowa and includes the major townships of Bairnsdale, Paynesville, Metung and Lakes Entrance. It’s vulnerability to extreme weather events was highlighted nearly two years ago when the river catchment was so badly damaged by bushfires that any significant rain still threatens to bring large amounts of soil and debris washing down the Mitchell – a situation expected to last for a number of years to come.
These bushfires necessitated the rapid installation of millions-of-dollars of specialist infrastructure to treat the water and highlighted the need for longer term measures to further secure drinking water supplies against the impact of a damaged catchment.
Said East Gippsland Water’s Managing Director, Les Mathieson: "Our top priority is to make sure we have secure, high quality drinking water supplies that meet the needs of all our customers well into the future.
"The projects form part of the largest program of works ever undertaken by East Gippsland Water. Other notable works currently underway within the Mitchell River Water Supply System include relining and covering the open water storages at Wy Yung and Sunlakes near Lakes Entrance to improve water quality and protect against evaporation. Also, we are replacing the open storage at Eagle Point with large, covered tanks.
"In addition we have embarked on a number of far-reaching projects designed to benefit smaller communities elsewhere in East Gippsland."
Indeed, since 2007 new water treatment plants have opened for the small towns of Bemm River, Cann River, Buchan and Swifts Creek, providing consistent supplies of high quality drinking water to these communities. Nowa Nowa is also benefiting from much improved drinking water following construction of a 17 kilometre pipeline connecting the township to Mitchell River water supplies.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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