News & Discussion: Water Infrastructure

[fabricator]

Given that this water has to be treated using lots of energy, just recycling for the sake of it might not be the best for the environment unless there is some other payoff.

Its the same or less energy that would otherwise be used to clean up River Murray water and pump it into Adelaide. I've been in the river itself at Mannum where the pumping station is, it was a pretty brown and green colour (and not transparent) about 10 year ago, and I expect its even worse now. By comparison the water from a treatment plant or storm water is pretty clean.

[rubberman]

Good point Fabricator. It is an illustration of the psychology of the customer though. They wont pay as much for water from a treatment plant as they will from the river....even though the river water is arguably worse quality.

If the Council were to pay the same for the water, then there would be no problem. However, as I understand it, they are not paying the full amount.

[mattblack]

The pipeline is well ahead of schedule, could be up and running for the upcoming summer. No more dustbowls. Progress here http://www.gapreuse.com.au/assets/pdfs/ ... ne-map.pdf and a time lapse of the holding ponds at Glenelg being constructed. Go to 'Constuction at Glenelg'. http://www.gapreuse.com.au/

[Xaragmata]

Stage 2 of Breakout Creek Wetland is nearly complete, and paths reopened - probably needs river plants & things:

[Omicron]

Well now, that should come up nicely once planting is complete.

[jk1237]

does anyone know if this project is nearly finished, caus the parklands and our city squares are already drying up (despite what I thought was a relaxing of water restrictions for councils). I really hope that it can be in action by christmas

I absolutely hate seeing our city squares with brown grass. The southern half of Victoria Square is half brown already and it makes Adelaide look so depressing. With reservoirs at highest capacity in years there is no need to let them dry up

[DM8]

I heard last week that construction is on schedule, due to be complete at the end of this year, and water available for the parklands mid next year. From what I can gather, it sounds like they're allowing 6 months for "testing" and "commissioning".

Unfortunately, looks like there might be another summer-long dustbowl, although if Maywald goes ahead with relaxing water restrictions, they might use potable water for irrigation.

[jk1237]

thankyou, and do excuse my grumpiness in the other thread

[Norman]

The actual pipeline is now complete:
http://www.gapreuse.com.au/assets/pdfs/ ... ne-map.pdf

In terms of the overall project:

Construction of the new recycled water treatment facility at the Glenelg Wastewater Treatment Plant is now almost complete. Final works include testing and commissioning of the treatment plant and construction of internal roads, kerbing and landscaping. In addition, the underground trunk main pipeline between Glenelg and the Park Lands is also almost complete, following final works on Tapleys Hill Road. The CityGreen Alliance construction teams have installed all of the buried ring main pipeline in the Adelaide Park Lands, and undertaken all of the road, rail and river crossings.

The underground pipeline was constructed at a number of locations concurrently in West Torrens and the Park Lands to ensure timely construction completion. Completion of the project, with water in the Park Lands for irrigation, is planned for mid 2010.

More information is available here: http://www.gapreuse.com.au/

[Wayno]

The Pipeline officially opens tomorrow!

Opening 6 months ahead of schedule. I'm not surprised only 1/3rd of the water has customers (ACC for the parklands) at this point. Suspect more customers will arise once the parklands start looking green.

Warning: Typical AdelaideNow negative spin on what's a truly positive project.

A $75 MILLION project to pump billions of litres of treated wastewater into Adelaide and its parklands still lacks customers.

The 40km Glenelg-to-Adelaide pipeline, which includes 30km of piping around the parklands, is supposed to transfer up to 3.8 billion litres of water from the Glenelg wastewater treatment plant instead of flushing it out to sea, reducing the state's dependence on the River Murray.

The project - which the Sunday Mail understands has overrun its budget by about $2.5 million - is expected to be officially opened tomorrow by Premier Mike Rann.

SA Water, which is managing the project on behalf of the state and federal governments, has said only Adelaide City Council has so far agreed to tap into the piped water in the city.

The council is expected to use up to 1.3 billion litres to irrigate the parklands - leaving a considerable surplus.

SA Water spokeswoman Courtney Blacker said the utility was "in negotiations" with 30 potential customers for the remaining 2.5 billion litres, but would not disclose who they were.

The lack of customers for the wastewater pipeline project has cast doubt on the viability of the Adelaide Airport stormwater re-use scheme, due to launch in 2012 - the same year Mr Rann has declared water restrictions will end. The $9.8 million stormwater scheme - announced in June 2009 as part of the Government's Water for Good plan - will treat water from Brownhill and Keswick creeks by biofiltration, reportedly for use by the airport, industry and councils.

It is not certain if this water will ever replace drinking water - and therefore help increase Adelaide's water security. Originally planned to produce one billion litres of water a year, the airport project has apparently been downgraded to 400 million litres, and still has no customers locked in to use the water.

The Glenelg pipeline and airport projects are expected to compete for the same customers. The lack of committed customers for either project has raised doubts about the sense of the combined investment.

Documents submitted to Parliament's Public Works Committee have revealed the $9.8 million airport project cost does not include infrastructure to deliver the water to any users beyond the airport. The cost of laying pipes and retro-fitouts to accommodate a dual (mains/stormwater) supply will be the responsibility of customers - who may be several kilometres away.

It is not even certain the airport will be a customer, as access points to the Glenelg pipeline have been installed throughout the airport precinct.

An airport spokesman said the airport had "an option" to take 150 million litres from the Glenelg pipeline to cater for future expansion.

The airport master plan, which was approved last month, also revealed wastewater from the Glenelg pipeline "is sufficient to meet the demands of Master Plan developments" - raising doubt whether the airport would ever need the stormwater.

Ms Blacker said water from the stormwater scheme would be "supplied to local users to irrigate parks, ovals and (for) commercial purposes", but would not specify if any businesses were in talks to sign up.

She said the Glenelg pipeline had been delivered six months ahead of schedule, and any cost overruns were due to extra engineering work done to circumvent previously unknown infrastructure in the parklands.

Work on the pipeline began in September 2009. Wastewater will be treated at United Water's Glenelg wastewater treatment plant and piped towards the city.

[mattblack]

Apparently one of the big possibilities for the use of this water is for airconditioning units to city buildings which curently use mains water. Relativly easy to retro-fit onto exsisting buildings.

[SRW]

The negative slant in that in that article is so patently obvious...I guess any pretence to objectivity has finally escaped the 'Tiser.

[jk1237]

ah this is fantastic news . I was unaware that there were going to be other uses for the water other than the parklands and squares. So if there is, its a bonus

ok let her rip now! full bore on the parklands to make them as green as possible for the east parkland festivals and the Clipsal, and to save a few hundred trees too?

btw, has anyone noticed how much coolness comes out of a nice green parklands. Just ride a bike on a warm day from the CBD streets to the suburbs and notice a huge drop in temp as you go through the parklands. The benefit of this is enormous. Could be the catalyst of making Adelaideans actually visit some nice green parklands

[jk1237]

btw Advertiser, you make us sick, your an insult to anyone with half a brain. Used car salesman spin less nonsense than The Advertiser nowadays

[Waewick]

will this keep the whole lot green? from goodwood road to north terrace?