A high-tech, multi-million dollar project to bring Googong township, Canberra, onto the region’s main water supply is now well and truly underway near Googong Dam.
The complex project involves excavating and tapping into the 1.8 metre diameter bulk main from the
Googong Water Treatment Plant to weld a new junction into the system for Googong residents. This is the final part of the $7 million bulk water connection, funded by Googong Township, and delivered by ACTEW Water.
This major infrastructure project will leverage state-of-the-art fabricated materials, technology, and techniques to connect Googong’s original 1960s infrastructure to Canberra’s water supply.
The process, nearly a year in planning, requires an exceptional team of experts to excavate, expose, and remove the 50 year old pipeline while negotiating steep and rocky terrain. To achieve the task, teams will work around the clock to ensure a smooth and successful outcome.
The new section of pipe was fabricated in Maitland and ferried to Googong on four semitrailers. A local 
Canberra and Queanbeyan team comprising some of Australia’s best specialist engineers, welders, and environmental managers will undertake and oversee the project on behalf of Googong and ACTEW to ensure it is completed properly. This includes a specialist process to tighten and seal the pipe’s three sets of 43 joining bolts. The bolts are worth more than $30,000, and each set will take six hours to complete.
Once the pipe is fully installed, another team will complete work on the internal lining before the main is ready to be brought into service.
The completion of this highly technical task will be a major milestone for both ACTEW Water and the Googong township.
