Potable Water Infrastructure Improvement Project
Birdsville and Bedourie, QLD
Total funding: Total project cost of $1.4 million, with funding of $700,000 from the Australian Government under the National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns and the remaining funding provided by Diamantina Shire Council.
About the project
There are two components to this project:
- The water mains in Birdsville were installed in 1961 and upgraded in the 1970s with polypipe. It is now known that the heat of the water coming from the Great Artesian Basin causes the O rings at each pipe end join to deteriorate and leak. This project component will replace 2.4 kilometres of the oldest pipes in town.
- In Bedourie the potable water sourced from the Artesian Basin is too hot (approximately 45 degrees Celsius) to be used as a cold water supply. Council has designed a cooling pond to cool the water prior to it being distributed into the end user homes and businesses.
Project benefits
This project will:
- reduce potable water loss by 72 million litres each year
- reduce the amount of water being extracted from the Great Artesian Basin
- promote greater awareness of water use and scarcity amongst residents, and
- reduce the frequency of disruptions and costs associated with water infrastructure maintenance.
Progress
The project commenced on 3 June 2011 and is scheduled for completion by 30 June 2012.
National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns projects are funded by the Australian Government's Water for the Future initiative.