Council received additional funding for water infrastructure
Council has received formal notification that we have been successful in our applications for funding under the Building our Regions Fund - Round Six.
Two separate applications have been successful, those being an application for the Glenore Weir Water Pipe Replacement (Planning Report), funding amount of $295,000.00 and Carpentaria Water Reservoir Upgrade with a funding amount of $1,992,916.65
The Council will engage the services of a suitably qualified hydraulics engineer consultant to undertake a feasibility study and cost benefit analysis to assess the existing 23-kilometre mains water pipe in the Shire, which runs from Glenore Weir to the Normanton Water Treatment Plant. This feasibility study is critical to investigate the condition of the existing mains water pipe and to ensure that any maintenance/upgrade/replacement works is the most appropriate use of Council funds.
The water reservoir upgrade will reduce risk, improve quality, and increase the current capacity of water supply from 4.5ML to 6.32ML of drinkable water capacity, thereby reducing disruption to customers, through a refurbishment of the two reservoirs that were decommissioned in 2013 by reclaiming and extended above ground level to significantly increase storage capacity.
Council identified the critical need to upgrade the water storage at the Normanton Water Treatment Plant based on the current peak water usage levels of 3.5ML per day and our current water storage capacity of 4.5ML. Our water supply can be significantly diminished during times of breakdowns or when other serious issues arise.
Increased water storage will improve water security for the remote townships of Normanton and Karumba. In addition, increased water storage will allow for isolation from the remaining reservoir network for cleaning, breakdowns, and isolation from other reservoirs in times of contamination.
Mayor Jack Bawden thanked the State Government for the funding provided through the Round Six of the Building our Regions Fund, without the support from the State Government these projects would not have been possible. “It is funding programs like Building our Regions that assist smaller rural and remote Councils with low-rate bases to provide critical infrastructure to and for the community”, he said
Mayor Bawden said, “our water infrastructure is aging and with water infrastructure most of it is located under the ground and not always easily accessible and as we experienced recently with the dirty water in Normanton, we need to be continually upgrading the network, that is where these funding programs are critical for small councils to be able to undertake this work”
Manager Water and Waste Ben Hill said, “this funding from the State Government for the planning report and the upgrade to reservoirs for additional storage continues the good work done last year at the water treatment plant through the Works 4 Queensland (COVID) funding where we refurbished the number 5 & 6 filters, coated reservoir 3 and installed the new Clarifier”.
“We continue to upgrade the aging infrastructure as funding becomes available, there is still more to do and Council will continue to work with the State Government as funds become available through submissions of projects and infrastructure that needs replacing”, he said.