Queensland Urban Utilities has announced that it will be investing $292 million in water and sewerage assets throughout 2014/15.
The capital expenditure program will include 108 infrastructure projects across the company’s five service regions – Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and Somerset.
Queensland Urban Utilities CEO, Louise Dudley, said a key focus of the capital works program was building new infrastructure to cater for south east Queensland’s population growth.
“It is important that we continue to plan and build for the future to ensure we have a sustainable water and sewerage network for many years to come,” she said.
“Queensland Urban Utilities determines capital expenditure in each region on a needs basis and one of our key considerations is population growth.”
Some of the growth areas earmarked for new infrastructure include Rochedale in Brisbane, Rosewood in Ipswich, Plainland in the Lockyer Valley, Beaudesert North in the Scenic Rim, and Fernvale and Lowood in the Somerset region.
Ms Dudley said another major priority in 2014/15 was replacing ageing infrastructure in Queensland Urban Utilities’ vast water and sewerage network.
“We have almost 9000km of water mains and 9200km of sewerage mains and the average age of the pipes in our network is between 20 and 50 years old,” she said.
“Under our rolling renewal programs, we will replace 29km of water mains and reline 24km of sewerage mains in 2014/15.”
Major projects to be undertaken by Queensland Urban Utilities in 2014/15 include:
- Brisbane – Bulimba Creek Trunk Sewer Upgrade – $13.86 million spend in 2014/15, total project cost $40.49 million. A new trunk sewer will be constructed between Wecker Road, Mansfield to the Pacific Golf Club at Carindale. The 2165m sewer line will operate in parallel with the existing trunk sewer and cater for the area’s forecast population growth.
- Rochedale Water Infrastructure Upgrade – $1.02 million spend in 2014/15, total project cost $23.09 million. This project will include the construction of a new 10.8ML water reservoir, supply lines and booster pumps to cater for new residential development in Rochedale.
- Ipswich – Rosewood Sewer Catchment Upgrade – $6.1 million spend in 2014/15, total project cost $10.5 million. The project includes the construction of a new sewage pump station and sewer mains from Ipswich-Rosewood Road to Rosewood Sewage Treatment Plant. The upgrade will improve service to the existing network and cater for future growth in eastern Rosewood.
- Ipswich Water Mains Renewal – $17.66 million spend in 2014/15. This project will involve replacing 13,591m of water mains at 18 sites throughout Ipswich.
- Lockyer Valley – Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrades – $1.02 million spend in 2014/15, total project cost $9.53 million. The capacity of the sewage treatment plants in Gatton, Forest Hill and Laidley will be increased to cater for population growth. Work will commence in 2014/15 with the project expected to take two years to complete.
- Lockyer Valley Water Mains Renewal Program – $399,000 spend in 2014/15. This project will involve replacing 610m of water mains in Gatton, Laidley and Forest Hill.
- Scenic Rim – Rathdowney Reservoir – $900,000 spend in 2014/15, total project cost $1.65 million. The existing 50kl water reservoir will be replaced with a new 200kl reservoir on a new site on the northern side of Rathdowney.
- Scenic Rim Water Mains Renewal Program – $429,000 spend in 2014/15. This project will involve replacing 510m of water mains at two sites in Beaudesert.
- Somerset – Lowood Sewer Catchment Upgrade – $1.7 million spend in 2014/15, total project cost $2.4 million. The Lowood sewerage network will be upgraded to cater for population growth in the Eagle Rise residential development.
- Somerset Water Mains Renewal Project – $298,000 spend in 2014/15. This project will involve replacing 570m of water mains in the township of Toogoolawah.
