WATER FLOWING FROM $12.85 MILLION MALPAS DAM TO GUYRA PIPELINE

WATER FLOWING FROM $12.85 MILLION MALPAS DAM TO GUYRA PIPELINE

Deputy Premier John Barilaro, left, with Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall inside the new pump house at Malpas Dam, where water is pumped through the 19.6 kilometre pipeline to Guyra.

Tuesday, 8 October 2019

 

THE Guyra township’s water woes will now be a thing of the past with the ceremonial switching on today of the completed $12.85 million water pipeline from Malpas Dam to Guyra by Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Armidale Regional Council Mayor Simon Murray.

 

A thrilled Mr Marshall, who has been lobbying for the silver bullet solution for two years, said the new 19.6 kilometre pipeline and associated water treatment infrastructure at Guyra would provide permanent water security for the community and ensure continued growth in the region.

 

“Today the Malpas Dam to Guyra pipeline has officially been handed over to Armidale Regional Council by the contractors and is now pumping up to 60 litres of water per second to the Guyra water treatment plant,” Mr Marshall said.

 

“This pipeline will singlehandedly solve Guyra’s water security and quality issues for good and I couldn’t be happier for everyone in the community – it’s an historic day for Guyra!” Mr Marshall said.

 

“Given this current drought conditions, this pipeline is a savior for Guyra. The community can now rely completely on the pipeline for its water needs, meaning we can now stop trucking water from Armidale to Guyra.

 

“We made sure this project progressed quickly, providing $820,000 in additional emergency funding to get water pumping through the pipeline earlier than planned and to cover the cost of water carting from Armidale.

 

“Guyra’s town water was sourced from two small dams on the Gara River which are too small to guarantee supply during this extended drought – they’ve virtually run dry.

 

“This 19.6 kilometre pipeline is a lifeline for the local community. It will transport water from Malpas Dam to Guyra Water Treatment Plant, where it will be processed and used as town water.

 

“In addition to the pipeline, the project involved the construction of an intake at Malpas Dam, a new pumping station, treatment plant and electrical works.”

 

Mr Marshall said that with low rainfall and drought conditions threatening leaving Guyra dry, it was clear that action had to be taken to allow the community to continue to grow and its substantial horticultural industry to expand.

 

Guyra uses an average 423 megalitres of water each year, with demand steadily increasing, which far exceeds the town’s current storage capacity of 277 megalitres. The pipeline will expand that capacity to more than 740 megalitres, exceeding anticipated growth over the next 30 years.

 

Mr Marshall said discoloured, foul smelling and poor quality potable water from the local water supply at Guyra had been an ongoing issue for local residents and would also be resolved with the pipeline and new water treatment facilities.

 

“This problem arises every time the town’s storage levels fall and with Guyra using far more water than is available in storage, this risked becoming a regular occurrence without immediate intervention,” he said.

 

“But the pipeline should resolve many of those issues. This will not only benefit every resident who uses town water, but also help provide infinite capacity for Guyra’s expanding horticultural industry.

 

“This project is critical to unlocking Guyra’s growth potential and I thank the community and council for its incredibly strong support for this project.

 

“Together, we have ensured that Guyra’s water security is no longer a pipe dream.”

 

The NSW Government provided $12.375 million to council to undertake the project.

 

 

 

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