New Water Pipelines

The new pipeline from Orange to Carcoar is part of a long-term strategy to boost water security across the region.

In 2009 Centroc investigated water security across 17 local government areas and identified that 29 towns were at risk and required substantial water security improvements.

The Macquarie River to Orange pipeline, completed in mid-2015, has substantially increased the Orange system’s secure yield of water and coupled with other water security projects, will provide water security for Orange until 2060.

Cooperation between CTW and Orange City Council will enable the sharing of the additional secure water yield provided by the Macquarie River to Orange pipeline, thereby improving water security across these local regions.

The project will remove the need to upgrade Lake Rowlands in the short term therefore off-setting costs of approximately $150 million and providing time to examine alternative solutions for longer term regional water security as future demand increases.

February 2015

Orange mayor John Davis has welcomed the NSW Government’s decision to fund two major water pipeline projects.

Deputy Premier and Regional Infrastructure minister Troy Grant, Water Minister Kevin Humphries and Member for Orange Andrew Gee announced $38 million funding to build two new water pipelines.

The program includes:

• Orange City Council and Central Tablelands water to begin building a water pipeline from Orange through Millthorpe to Blayney and Carcoar. The total project cost is $35.78 million.
• Cabonne Shire Council begin to build a water pipeline from Orange to Molong Dam and from Molong to to Cumnock and Yeoval. The total project cost is $23.42 million.

“These projects are the next step towards delivering water security for the 59,000 people who live in this region for the next fifty years”, Cr John Davis said.

“Towards Carcoar we’ll be building a two-way pipeline that can send water in either direction, according to where it’s needed. The line towards Yeoval will be a one-way system. If there was a break-down in water treatment facilities anywhere between Carcoar and Yeoval, drinking water can be sent from another source to meet that need.”

“The councils of the central west have been taking a regional approach to designing the system we need to deliver water security, and I’m delighted the NSW Government has thrown its weight behind us.”

“Our local member, Andrew Gee, has worked hard to get support for these projects which will have long-term benefits for the people of the central west.”

“As well as getting us through the drought times that will come again in the future, water security is about underpinning our local economies so that local businesses can know there are steady sources of water.”

“On the short-term too there are benefits for the local economy to have another major injection of government investment in major infrastructure projects,” Cr John Davis said.

“This funding comes on top of projects such as the airport upgrade, the Macquarie Pipeline, the Aquatic Centre, the northern bypass, the regional museum and the Anzac Park stadium which have all had spin-offs for local jobs and benefits for the business economy.”

“Since 2011 projects worth more than $160 million have come about through partnerships between Orange City Council and the State and Commonwealth governments.”

ANNOUNCEMENT: Pictured at the February 2015 announcement of funding for the new pipelines were, Cabonne Shire Councillors Janelle Culverson, and Lachie MacSmith, Orange Mayor John Davis, NSW Water Minister Kevin Humphries, Member for Orange Andrew Gee and NSW Regional Infrastructure Minister Troy Grant

The region’s network of water pipelines is being expanded to improve water access and water security

Orange City Council, Central Tablelands Water (CTW) and Cabonne Council have received funding under the NSW Government’s Restart NSW Water Security for Regions programme to build two new pipelines:

• 65 kilometres of pipeline from Orange to Molong Dam, and from Molong to Cumnock and Yeoval
• 57 kilometres of pipeline from Orange to Carcoar via Spring Hill, Millthorpe and Blayney.

Project 1

The Cabonne project includes the following components:

• 16km raw water pipeline
• 49km potable water pipeline.

This project will deliver improved water security to Cabonne residents and reticulated potable water to the villages of Cumnock and Yeoval.

Project 2

The Orange City Council (OCC) and Central Tablelands Water (CTW) project includes the following components:

• a 57 km potable pipeline from Orange to Carcoar via Spring Hill, Millthorpe and Blayney.
• Pump stations for bi-directional water transfers.

This project will deliver an improved secure yield to the customers of Central Tablelands Water catering for future growth.

Central Tablelands Water currently provides water to 11,000 residents in 14 towns and villages through a network of pipelines.

Orange City Council will gain access to emergency water in the case of a catastrophic system failure such as a fire at the water filtration plant and also be able to ensure water quantity and quality to the Airport and Spring Hill/Lucknow.