Reduced rainfall and a growing population are stretching Perth’s water supply to its limits. The Alkimos desalination plant is set to provide a long-term solution, and every aspect of this project needs to be delivered with the future in mind.
Water Corporation is powering ahead with a new major water source for Western Australia.
With a declining rainfall and a growing population, it’s projected that the state will need and extra 75–125GL of water per year by 2035. To meet this demand, Water Corporation has joined forces with Acciona and Jacobs Group to deliver a new climate-independent, sustainable drinking water source – the Alkimos seawater desalination plant.
Once complete, the first stage of the project will deliver an additional 50GL of clean, reliable drinking water to customers every year, with a second stage planned to increase the plant’s capacity to 100GL per year.
With enabling earthworks complete as of January 2025, this critical water project is now in full swing and expected to be completed in 2028.
To support the development of the new desalination plant, Water Corporation is also building a 33.5km pipeline to connect the plant to Wanneroo Reservoir, which feeds into the Integrated Water Supply Scheme (IWSS).
Delivered in alliance with Georgiou, with DM Drainage and Construction, this project will be the largest water pipeline that Water Corporation has constructed, with a diameter of up to 1600mm. It has been designed to accommodate this significant amount of water and also allow for future desalination expansions.
While the pipeline project is slated for completion in 2027, around 6km of the pipeline are being constructed early as part of major transport infrastructure projects in Alkimos.
The final pipeline will be entirely below ground except for a small section crossing the rail line near Alkimos Station and some discreet access valves installed at intervals along the pipeline.
To facilitate this challenging project, one of Kwik-ZIP’s customers deployed HDXT-103 spacers with load inserts to facilitate the slip-lining of a 914mm Sintakote® mild steel cement lined (MSCL) carrier pipe into a 1399mm reinforced concrete jacking pipe casing (RCJP), as well as a 1422mm Sintakote MSCL carrier pipe into a 1708mm casing at a rail crossing in Yanchep.
This installation was fully grouted, however, as longevity is key in this critical project, the HDXT spacers and load inserts would adequately support the pipes and water for the life of the installation.
Kwik-ZIP said that the HDXT’s unique load sharing design maximises the load bearing capacity of each runner and reduces point loading.
HDXT load inserts are designed to be used with the Kwik-ZIP HDXT casing spacers to provide additional load capacity for very heavy applications or where high point loadings on one runner are experienced. They also allow HDXT spacers to continue to carry heavy loads at elevated temperatures.
These spacers have no metal parts and are made from Kwik-ZIP’s engineered thermoplastic blend that is flexible, extremely tough and has a low co-efficient of friction.
Projects like the Alkimos to Wanneroo desalination pipeline are the foundation of Australia’s water security, so it’s vital that they’re prepped to stand the test of time.
The fusion-bonded coating on Sintakote® pipes is crucial for corrosion prevention and must stay undamaged to work effectively. Kwik-ZIP spacers not only provide protection but also feature integrated rubber grip pads, preventing slippage and preserving the coating’s integrity and safeguarding this essential asset.
For more information, visit kwikzip.com or to learn more about the Alkimos Desalination Plant, head to Water Corporation’s website.
