Work has started to replace a critical section of pipeline to improve the reliability of the Lower Hunter’s water supply.
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The upgrade will involve an eight-kilometre section of Chichester Trunk Gravity Main between Tarro and Duckenfield – one of the biggest known sources of leakage in Hunter Water’s network.
Hunter Water managing director Jim Bentley estimated that maintenance crews fixed more than 1000 leaks a year on the section alone.
Built in 1923, the pipeline carries about 40 per cent of the region’s water from Chichester Dam to Newcastle.
Hunter Water has been upgrading sections of the ageing infrastructure since 2009.
NSW Minister for Energy and Utilities Don Harwin said it was a priority project to ensure service reliability for Hunter Water’s customers.
“The Chichester Trunk Gravity Main delivers approximately 65 million litres of water every day, or more than a third of the region’s total water supply,” Mr Harwin said.
“At a cost of $43 million, this is a critical project to ensure the people of the Lower Hunter continue to have a reliable and secure water supply. Hunter Water has fast-tracked the project by more than a year to see to it that this important work is done as soon as possible.
The work involves replacing the pipeline underground, starting with a 3.3-kilometre section near Millers Forest, which is prone to breaks during high water demand.
At the same time, work is underway to remove the old pipe, with the project to be completed by November 2019.
