A 2.6km pipeline has been installed to deliver more water to a community that is expected to be home to more than 21,000 people.
A team of 25 workers started building the line to Harmony in Palmview in August last year and it will be commissioned in July next year, following the completion and connection of a new nearby water storage reservoir.
Unitywater executive manager sustainable infrastructure solutions Mike Basterfield said it marked the halfway point of the project.
He explained how it was done and what steps will be taken next.
“Ductile iron cement-lined pipe was trenched down Tanawha Road and along Bellflower Road, and crews are completing the last reinstatement works to replace footpaths, trees and lawns that needed to be removed,” he said.
“Horizontal directional drilling was used to install a high-density polyethylene pipe between Springhill Drive and Creekside Drive and beneath a local creek, to avoid disturbing the natural environment in this area.
“All eyes are now on the Tanawha reservoir site, with 10-metre-high concrete walls being lifted into position to form the storage, which will hold up to 12 million litres of drinking water, ready to travel down the pipe towards new homes in Harmony.”
Unitywater’s construction partner for the project is McConnell Dowell.
Program manager Andy Parker said the installation of the new pipeline was a result of support from the local community.
“Local residents and businesses have been working with us on this project for almost a year, and without their support and understanding none of this would have been possible,” he said.
“Putting large new pipes underground will always create some disruption, but with great communication lines into the local community we have ensured this was done with a no-surprises approach.
“We have had some great conversations with the local residents in the areas we have worked and greatly appreciated the kindness they have shown us.”
Harmony is expected to be home to more than 21,000 people by 2036. A new four-hectare park with one kilometre of pedestrian and cycle circuits, kick and throw lawns with soccer goals and static gym equipment was recently opened there.
The project is part of Unitywater’s $1.8 billion capital investment over the next five years to maintain the reliability of the region’s water and wastewater networks and expand their reach to enable population and economic growth.
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