Restoration works for one of Coliban Water’s most crucial water assets have been completed, almost two years after it was damaged in an extreme flooding event.
Jointly owned by Coliban Water and Central Highlands Water, the Eppalock Pump Station is located just beyond Lake Eppalock’s dam wall and provides water security to customers in Bendigo and Ballarat.
Coliban Water Managing Director, Damian Wells, said that the pump station was damaged after it was swamped by 2.7m of floodwater in October 2022.
“While we carried out readiness work ahead of the flood, removing equipment and disconnecting power, a condition assessment completed after floodwater subsided identified significant damage to the pump station’s internal switchboards, pumps, and motors,” Mr Wells said.
“As part of the Goldfields Superpipe Joint Venture, we worked closely with our partners and our operations and maintenance provider, Veolia, to restore the pump station to ensure it can better withstand the impacts of flood and extreme weather in the future.
“This improved flood resilience aligns with our broader recovery goal to ‘build back better’. The pump station is now also easier to operate and safer for those working in and around the site.
“To reach this point and see the works complete is fantastic news.”
Central Highlands Water Managing Director, Jeff Haydon, said that $2.6 million had been invested in the restoration work.
“We’re very pleased to see the pump station up and running again. Not only have we improved safety and day-to-day operations, the restored pump station supports water security for customers in the Ballarat and Bendigo regions.
“When required, Central Highlands Water receives flows from the Eppalock Pump Station through to Ballarat via the 147km Goldfields Superpipe,” Mr Haydon said.
Veolia General Manager of Water in Victoria, Amanda Hazell, said the operations and maintenance team was pleased to support Coliban Water and Central Highlands Water with the project and contribute to improvements based on long-term knowledge of the facility.
Mr Wells said that the pump station was a complex and unique asset and that many of the replacement parts could not be purchased off the shelf.
“We ordered custom-made parts from as far away as Canada, including variable speed drives to run the pumps.
“Other work included replacing 14 large glass windows with strengthened polycarbonate panel, upgrading electrical assets in our high voltage switch room, plus a new roller door and upgrades to the mezzanine floor,” Mr Wells said.
The Eppalock Pump Station provides a back-up water supply to Bendigo and Ballarat. While it was offline for repair, Coliban Water had the ability to supply water from Colbinabbin if required.
“While we restored the Eppalock Pump Station as quickly as possible, we continue to explore opportunities to relocate and protect key electrical and pump-related infrastructure to further improve our ability to navigate extreme weather,” Mr Wells said.
This was the case with the nearby Eppalock-Heathcote Pump Station, which has been raised to house electrical equipment above ground level.
Featured image: Veolia staff Steven Hunter and Damien Molloy inside the restored Eppalock Pump Station. Image: Coliban Water
