Pipeline drought breaker underway

A new drought-breaking reverse flow pipeline bringing drinking water to five different councils in Queensland's south-east corner is under construction.

Work started last month (October) on the first 16km of the 100km $600m Southern Regional Pipeline (SRP) which will link Brisbane's Wivenhoe Dam through the Camerons Hill Reservoirs, with the Gold Coast's Hinze Dam through the Molendinar Water Treatment Plant.

Dubbed the water highway, the pipeline will be reverse flow and have off-take points throughout to allow five regional councils en route - Brisbane, Ipswich, Beaudesert, Logan and Gold Coast - to tap into it with connector pipes.

Hot off manufacturer Tyco's production line, the initial 16km batch of steel-lined, concrete pipe measures 1086mm in diameter. But half of the 100km will be 960mm pipe. The balance is currently out to tender and other types of fabrication will be considered because demand hugely exceeds supply capacity.

The SRP is part of the Queensland government's strategy to create a water grid connecting water storage and treatment plants - including six major dams and the Gold Coast desalination plant - to ease drought conditions in the state's heavily populated south east.

The five southern regional councils have formed a company with SEQ Water called the Southern Regional Water Pipeline (SRWP) and formed a SRWP Alliance to build the connector pipeline with Kellogg Brown Root (design), Abigroup and McConnell Dowell (construction).

The pipeline has a deadline of mid 2008 for completion and is being built as easement land is procured and will have multiple work fronts. The pipeline alignment uses existing road reserves and power easements for minimum community impact. Easements are approximately 30m wide for ease of construction and maintenance.

Directional drilling will be used under road crossings and river crossings for environmental complicity. Traditional trenching methods will be employed generally with trenches 1.8m wide and 2.5m deep. Top soil will be first stripped and kept for restoration of the site.

The pipeline is above ground where it connects with the five pumping stations and three balance tanks en route and at the Brisbane River crossing.

Optic fibre cabling, used for operation and maintenance purposes such as opening and closing pumping stations, will be laid with the pipeline.

An SWRP operations contract has been let to Transfield and United Utilities Australia p/l for five years with a three-year option. A site office has been established at Ipswich.

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