SA Water has revealed conceptual plans for its proposed safety upgrades to its Mount Bold Dam, in a major overhaul featuring a more efficient three-stage spillway for better controlling water releases. The current design features a three-stage spillway along the dam crest – with a primary spillway slot 3m wide by 5.6m high – which will replace a series of […]
Proactive action has been taken at Wivenhoe Dam in anticipation of this summer’s forecast La Nina, with the dam’s temporary full supply level lowered. Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, announced the decision to lower the temporary full supply to 80 per cent, saying the move is to ensure the continued safety of Queenslanders and communities. “In light of forecasts from the […]
SA Water is expected to begin releasing water from its Mount Bold Reservoir, after Spring downpours delivered a further thirteen billion litres of water to the utility’s storage capacity. So far during spring, South Australia’s reservoirs have already received more than two-thirds the amount of inflows compared to winter, with Mount Bold’s water level increasing by around 27 per cent […]
A proposed 14-metre extension to the Warragamba Dam wall in Western Sydney has been declared Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI) for its potential to mitigate against future floods. New South Wales Premier, Dominic Perrottet, said the proposal to raise the Dam wall would save lives, save properties and would help future-proof Western Sydney from flood risks. “First and foremost my […]
South Australia’s State Emergency Service (SA SES) has issued an emergency alert after reported structural failures at a privately-owned dam less than 500m from the south-east township of Echunga. Due to the high risk of collapse, SA SES has issued an emergency alert to people in homes which have the potential to flood, advising them to prepare for flooding and […]
Three tenders have been awarded for the rebuilding of Queensland’s Paradise Dam, with contracts delegated for design, geotechnical, and environmental services. Engineering specialist GHD has been appointed to prepare the reference design for the project. This will be used to procure a major construction partner. Jacobs will undertake geotechnical investigations and assess availability of any suitable basalt material that could […]
WaterNSW is closely monitoring rising storage levels at the two major supply dams for the Murrumbidgee Valley, as the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) forecasts ongoing wet conditions. Burrinjuck Dam, on the Murrumbidgee River, was sitting at 103 per cent capacity as of 8 August 2022 up from 90.5 per cent on 2 August, having received a peak inflow of over […]
Due to heavy rainfall, Central Coast dam levels are at full capacity, with Central West dams being used to hold back water to reduce flooding. The Upper Mooney Dam and Mangrove Creek Dam are at full capacity due to ongoing heavy rainfall in New South Wales. Central Coast Council Director Water and Sewer, Jamie Loader, said this is the first […]
The contract to investigate and conduct road safety works around the site of the Paradise Dam has been awarded, with key roads and access points needed prior to the dam’s upgrade. Queensland Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water, Glenn Butcher, said local contracting company Harrison Infrastructure Group (HIG) will spearhead an extensive investigation of the road […]
The tender for the new Eurobodalla Dam in New South Wales has been awarded, with construction set to begin soon. Haslin Construction has been awarded the tender to build the 3,000ML off-river water storage dam next to the Tuross River. The $130 million water security project is jointly funded, with the Federal Government committing $51.2 million through its National Water […]
TasWater and Glenorchy City Council have reached an agreement to jointly fund remediation works to transform the former Tolosa Reservoir site into an open parkland. Following TasWater’s construction of two above-ground reservoir tanks, the Tolosa Reservoir was removed from the water network and emptied in 2018 to improve the drinking water quality for the people of Glenorchy. Since 2018, significant […]
The Federal Government has pledged additional funding of up to $433 million for the new Dungowan Dan in Tamworth, which aims to maintain town water supply and water for irrigators and landholders. The new Dungowan Dam would be 58m high with the catchment area measuring 175m2. The New South Wales Government has welcomed the further commitment from the Federal Government […]
The Northern Territory Government and Power and Water Corporation have unveiled a new plan to lock in drinking water supplies for Territorians, while maintaining Manton Dam and ensuring it remains available for recreational use. The project has two components – the Adelaide River Off-Stream Water Storage (AROWS) project, and the Manton Dam Return to Service (RTS). Manton Dam RTS is […]
The Federal Government has confirmed $483 million in funding will be invested in building the Urannah Dam in Central Queensland (CQ), through the 2022-23 budget. The 970GL dam and approximately 200km pipeline network could unlock 103GL of water, enabling local producers to develop up to 20,000ha of irrigated agriculture. It could also provide a secure and affordable water supply for […]
A major water recycling scheme in Victoria, the Western Irrigation Network, is one step closer to supporting local farmland irrigation, with the storage dam at Melton Recycled Water Plant now being filled. The Western Irrigation Network project is on-track to supply reliable water to local farmers and help irrigate thousands of hectares of farmland from early 2023. The recently completed, […]
Wild weather lashing the east coast of Australia has pushed the Warragamba dam to exceed capacity and spill over, with the dam expected to stay full for the next two weeks. The rain forecast has been closely monitored by WaterNSW and the Bureau of Meteorology throughout this week, with predictions that the inflow could likely push both the Warragamba and […]
The Queensland Government and Powerlink are undertaking ground investigations, geotechnical testing, and further detailed analytical studies to investigate the suitability of Borumba Dam for a major pumped hydro energy storage project. For pumped hydro to be possible at Borumba, a new dam would be required upstream of the existing Borumba Dam to create the upper reservoir and be filled from […]
by Annabelle Powell, Journalist, Utility magazine Dams play a critical role in securing our water supply, so it’s vital that issues such as seepage – which threaten their integrity – are detected as early as possible. Here, Utility explores how Hunter Water has employed innovative satellite technology to increase the accuracy of its dam monitoring. Hunter Water has implemented cutting-edge […]
The Queensland Government has announced the opening of a competitive tender for 110,000ML of unallocated water from the Flinders River general reserve, aiming to support agricultural development in the Flinders catchment. Water Minister, Glenn Butcher, said, “We are delivering on our commitment to open the tender this year so we can get this water flowing to this community. “This water […]
As more heavy rain is forecast for the week, WaterNSW is working with the Bureau of Meteorology and regional airspace reference panels to manage inflows into dams. With dam storage levels high, most catchments saturated and wetter than average weather conditions forecast by the Bureau for the near future, WaterNSW is monitoring rain forecasts and making releases to increase storage […]
Tamworth and the Peel Valley are on track for greater water security, with the final route for the new 55km Dungowan Dam pipeline announced. The pipeline will run from the proposed new Dungowan Dam to Tamworth Regional Council’s Calala Water Treatment Plant. The preferred route was finalised after months of extensive studies, assessments, technical investigations and community consultation. Landowners were […]
The Western Australian Government has launched a new hub for water research and practice as part of the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI), with local partners joining forces with the institute. The Water Sensitive Cities Australia WA hub will ensure the latest science is applied to local water-focused projects and priorities, drawing on MSDI’s diverse and strong research capabilities, and […]
As the owner of most of the state’s large supply dams, WaterNSW gives the highest priority to the ongoing safety of its dams to protect people, property, and the environment from the harmful effects of failure or mis-operation of its dams and reservoirs. Delivering Operational Excellence is one of the corporate strategic priorities, given that WaterNSW is the largest bulk […]
Rockhampton Regional Council will soon be closing tenders on a business case for a long term water solution for Mount Morgan, with the successful tender set to be announced in coming weeks. This comes as the council continues to cart water up the mountain for its residents, costing the community millions. Rockhampton Mayor, Tony Williams, said it was a key […]
The Federal Government has announced it will be funding two preliminary business cases for water infrastructure projects in Central Queensland, providing $3.7 million to fully fund investigations into future construction and upgrades of water infrastructure – through the National Water Grid Fund. The funding is aiming to bolster water reliability and provide the additional water needed to grow local agricultural […]
The Western Australian Government has secured $20 million in Commonwealth funding for water infrastructure projects for farmers, through the Commonwealth’s National Water Grid Fund Connections funding pathway. The Western Australian Government has advocated for WA farmers for close to 12 months to secure the funding, whilst continuing to invest in the state’s agricultural, community and strategic water supplies. Water infrastructure […]
The Borumba Dam Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) project has reached a new step in consultation, with tenders called for initial engineering and consulting services to deliver design and costings for the project. At 1GW and 24 hours storage, the Borumba PHES project will be Queensland’s largest pumped hydro project, with the potential to power up to 1.5 million homes […]
The NSW Government and Hunter Water are requesting feedback on the draft Lower Hunter Water Security Plan. The draft Plan is the culmination of more than three years of comprehensive investigations and assessment, underpinned by in-depth engagement with the community, to ensure the growing Lower Hunter region has the water security it needs for a prosperous future. The draft Lower […]
The Western Australian Government has announced the official completion of the 43km Albany to Denmark pipeline – future proofing year-round water supply in the face of climate change and ensuring the region is not solely reliant on Quickup Dam. The new pipeline was constructed in response to years of declining rainfall in the region due to climate change, which has […]
Hunter Water has implemented cutting-edge satellite technology to monitor Grahamstown Dam and Chichester Dam, with the technology boasting millimetric accuracy. The state-of-the-art safety upgrade engages Australian company Detection Services in partnership with United Kingdom-based analytics experts Rezatec. The three-year programs at the two dams will capitalise on Rezatec’s Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (AI), increasing the frequency and accuracy of monitoring while […]
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