A tunnel will be built under the Hunter River to secure Maitland and Newcastle’s water supply as part of a $91 million cash splash in the city – the largest Hunter Water has ever made in an electorate.
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The tunnel will be 200 metres long and house two water pipes which will travel under the river bed between Osterley and Millers Forest. The pipes will be 90 centimetres wide.
Work will start by the end of 2014.
On the Osterley side of the river, the pipes will be connected to an existing above-ground pipeline that brings water from Chichester Dam.
On the Millers Forest side the pipes will connect to the water network for use in Maitland and Newcastle.
Maitland MP Robyn Parker will announce the project on Friday, along with upgrades to the Farley and Morpeth wastewater treatment plants, new sewer mains at Lochinvar and Maitland, and a second trunk main to the new Lochinvar Reservoir, as alluded to in the Mercury on Thursday.
The $91 million will be allocated over four years.
The tunnel will replace an existing brick-lined tunnel and water pipes that were built in the early 1920s at the same location and have provide more than 20 per cent of the Lower Hunter’s drinking water each day.
Over time, the pipes and tunnel have fallen into disrepair because of the type of materials used in their construction.
The new tunnel will use state-of-the-art trenchless technology which installs a flexible pipe without impacting on the river.
Design work has started and construction is expected to begin by the end of next year.
Ms Parker said the tunnel was a vital piece of infrastructure and the investment was about planning for Maitland’s expanding population.
“Hunter Water will be delivering infrastructure worth $91 million in Maitland, building on the $46 million in work it has completed locally during the past two years,” she said.
“The tunnel is a critical piece of infrastructure as it transports more than 20 per cent of the Lower Hunter’s daily drinking water.”
Ms Parker will turn on the Lochinvar Reservoir for the first time on Friday, which will mark a significant milestone in securing water in the electorate.
“The reservoir will deliver high-quality water to 23,000 local homes and another 26,000 properties expected to be built nearby by 2040,” she said.
