Villages to receive potable water from Orange as pipeline commissioning begins

Monday, May 7, 2018

Spring Hill and Lucknow residents will soon have potable water from the Orange Water Supply System as commissioning of a new 61 kilometre pipeline begins.

The 61 kilometre Orange to Carcoar pipeline, jointly funded by the NSW Government under its Restart NSW Water Security for Regions program, Orange City Council, and Central Tablelands Water, will be up and running in the coming months.

Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW Rick Colless said that long-term water security is vital for regional communities and growth in these areas.

“This project will improve water security across a large area of central-west NSW – having flow on benefits to businesses, individuals and farms in the region,” Mr Colless said.

“I’m proud of the work which has been undertaken by the NSW Government, Orange City Council and Central Tablelands Water, to make this project happen.”

Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said the major project had been a year in the making and would improve access and water security in the region.

“It’s wonderful what can be achieved when different levels of government and organisations work together for a common goal,” Cr Kidd said.

“This project will be a major boost for the local economy and will further secure the region’s water supply.”

COMMISSIONING : Following the installing of the pipeline last year, the commission of the project is almost complete.

The project received $21.21 million in funding from the NSW Government’s Restart NSW Water Security for Regions program, set up to improve water security and help communities prepare for further drought conditions.

Orange City Council is contributing $5 million to the project and Central Tablelands Water $2.5 million.

Steel pipes, measuring 300-375 mm diameter were placed in underground trenches, between 1 to 2 metres deep. The majority of the pipeline was built in road corridors, with only small sections on private land.

The project also includes a number of pump stations to enable two-way water transfers.

Villages to receive flouride

The main difference between the Spring Hill and Orange water supplies is that the water supplying Orange is fluoridated. The bore water supply to Spring Hill and Lucknow is not currently fluoridated.

Fluoridation is a safe and effective way of preventing dental decay to people of all ages in the community.

“It is unlikely residents will notice a difference in the water as commissioning occurs when water from the Orange supply is slowly added to the existing Spring Hill and Lucknow supply,” Cr Kidd said.

“Both systems produce high-quality drinking water, but there are benefits to using the Orange supply.

“The new system in place is more reliable than the existing bore water supplies in the villages and it is treated to a higher quality.”

The Orange supply water has less calcium carbonate which means it has a less adverse effect on fittings such as shower heads and taps and kitchen appliances such as kettles. It’s also less likely to clog plumbing.

Because of a reduction in calcium carbonate, the new system will produce water which is less likely to produce soap scum when added to detergents, and is more likely to ‘lather’.

“Orange has some of the highest quality water in the state,” Cr Kidd said.

“The city won the Water Industry Operations Association of Australia (WIOA) NSW Conference and Exhibition’s 2015 water taste test in 2015.

“I’m proud we’ve been able to complete this project and deliver this service to our villages.”