A $1.6 million upgrade to water tanks in Carnarvon, Western Australia, seeks to make the town’s water supply more resilient to extreme weather events.
The project, which was finished in June 2020, saw new valves, pipes and monitoring equipment installed at two water tanks in Brown Range, adjacent to North West Coastal Highway.
The remote monitoring equipment is designed to reduce the potential for local supply interruptions during extreme weather events, such as cyclones.
The project was part of a $44.2 million capital works program delivered in Western Australia’s Mid West by Water Corporation during the 2019-20 financial year.
It created 26 jobs during construction, including ten for local residents employed through Carnarvon-based subcontractors.
Western Australian Water Minister, Dave Kelly, said that water security across regional Western Australia remains one of the highest priorities for the WA Government and Water Corporation.
“This upgrade includes state-of-the-art remote monitoring technology that allows the Brown Range tanks to be controlled from a remote location if necessary. This helps reduce the potential for a localised weather event to interrupt supply,” Mr Kelly said.
Mining and Pastoral Region MLC, Kyle McGinn, said that in the face of extreme weather events such as cyclones, it is critical that the state’s infrastructure can be relied upon to maintain water supply to regional households and communities.
“It’s great to see local companies and workers used to help deliver this important project on time and under budget – an excellent result for all involved,” Mr McGinn said.
“This investment will be a huge boost for the community of Carnarvon, and I am thrilled to see more local jobs created in the Mining and Pastoral region.”
