Murrurundi Pipeline Progress

APPROXIMATELY 30 people gathered in Murrurundi last night for an update on the Murrurundi pipeline, which is due for competition at the end of June 2020.

Leed Engineering and Construction, which was awarded the tender for the design and construction of the pipeline from eight companies, met with Council last week to begin work on the design.

The design will be reviewed on May 3 and the construction of pump stations is scheduled for late August to early September.

The construction of the pipeline will then begin, with the contractor estimating 600 metres of pipeline a day can be laid in open paddock.

Two teams will work on the pipeline simultaneously, one beginning in Scone and working towards Wingen, the other team will begin in Wingen and work towards Murrurundi and both will have a 30 tonne excavator.

Once the pipeline is operational the existing water sources will no longer be used, but they will remain an alternative water source.

Water prices between Scone and Murrurundi will become uniform and the Council is currently working with industry to increase water allocation from 2,000 megalitres a year to an additional 150 megalitres for the Murrurundi pipeline.

Reservoirs and Reticulation

The reservoir at Murrurundi will need to be increased to 2.2 megalitres to supply the town with twice peak daily demand, to compensate for times when their may be failures with a pump station of the pipeline.

Reservoirs will also need to be built and reticulation systems put in place at Parkville, Wingen and Blandford.

This work is not part of the pipeline project and is estimated to cost $4.4million, of which 60 percent funding has been obtained from a state government grant. Council confirmed if there is a cost saving on the $14.2million allocated for the pipeline, it can be used for the reservoirs and reticulation.

The reservoir at Murrurundi will be increased after the pipeline has been laid and the process for the reservoir design and tender has begun.

The supply of water to Parkville, Wingen and Blandford is expected to take a couple of years and it has not been decided which order the work will occur in the villages.

There are currently no plans to put in a sewer network in the villages, however when towns are reticulated it often places more pressure on existing sewerage and it will be monitored by Council.

Pipeline Access for Landholders

There is a connection policy on public display for landholders eligible to connect to the pipeline, initial cost projections of $17,000 have been significantly reduced to approximately $2,000 plus $350 for a water metre.

Landholders are responsible for the costs an infrastructure from the point of the water metre including a tank with air gap.

At points where the pipeline is at high pressure, residents must have infrastructure for connection in place before the pipeline is operational and Council will contact landowners on those sections of pipeline, of which they estimate there are only 20 landholders.

Landholders who are at low pressure sections of the pipeline can retro-fit connections at any stage and are encouraged to contact Council for more information.

Cressfield Connection

The pipeline from Scone to Cressfield Road will measure 250mm in internal diameter, rather than the 200mm on the rest of the pipeline, to allow for irrigation in the area.

Historically there were orchards in the valleys near Cressfield and the Councils decision to have larger pipeline to this point would support irrigation for such crops in the future.

The estimated cost was $1.33million, but the contractor is able to deliver the modification for $380,000 within the project budget.

Fire Fighting Options

The Council is assessing the option for firefighting access points on the pipeline with the contractor, however they are balancing the risk of additional access points for contamination and water theft.

Water Treatment

The water in the pipeline will come from the Scone reservoir where it is treated with chlorine and will be boosted with chlorine in Murrurundi.

Council has committed to fluoridation of the local water supply, but does not have a date for when that will occur. Read story: Water Fluoridation.

Pipeline Path

The pipeline adheres to roadways and reserves wherever possible, but in some places landowners have allowed the pipeline to be up to 2.2 kilometres onto their property to allow for navigation of creeks.

In the township of Blandford, White Street which has recently undergone works, will need to be dug up for the pipeline to be laid.

Council confirmed that they will have resident access arrangement in place where roads are impacted and ensure work in those areas is completed as quickly as possible.

The pipeline will be a minimum of 600 ml below ground and in cropped areas will be buried 1.2 metres from the surface.

The only areas where the pipeline will be exposed is when it goes into the pump stations and there will be above ground access points to the pipeline and air valves.

Map below: