PIPELINE AND POWER SUPPLY DESIGN
Desalinated water from the plant at Wonthaggi will be piped to Melbourne via a new 84 kilometre underground pipeline. The pipeline will be capable of transporting up to 200 billion litres of water a year and will connect into the existing water supply network at Berwick.
The pipeline is made up of more than 6200 lengths of pipe with each pipe 1.93 metres in diameter, 13.5 metres long and weighing around 13 tonnes. To build the pipeline, sections of pipe are laid in a trench, welded together and backfilled with sand.
Seven water delivery points along the pipeline will connect communities to the desalinated water supply, while a booster pump station at Cardinia will help maintain enough pressure to keep the water moving on its journey from the desalination plant to Cardinia Reservoir.
Underground 220kV high-voltage power cables co-located with the pipeline will power the plant. Underground power was the preferred outcome for the project as it has the least impact on landowners and people living and working in the area. Power compensation stations in Lang Lang and Cardinia will maintain a steady and reliable flow of power and smooth out any surges or drops in voltage. (See also the Energy efficiency section of this website).
Fibre optic cables will also be laid with the power cables and on the pipeline to provide important monitoring information on the pipe and power networks. Additional capacity on this high-speed communications cable will facilitate improved broadband capability to surrounding communities.
The power supply route will be located with the desalination pipeline from the plant site to an existing overhead power line easement at Pound Road, Clyde North, and then travel along this easement to an existing terminal station in Cranbourne.
The pipeline and power supply pass through Bass Coast Shire, City of Casey and Cardinia Shire Council areas.
The pipeline corridor is mostly pasture and introduced vegetation and the grid connection corridor is generally along agricultural land.
Where there is potential for environmental impacts, mitigation measures are suggested in the Environment Effects Statement (EES) and performance requirements are in place to ensure that AquaSure manages these risks. This includes aligning pipe and power infrastructure to avoid significant species and vegetation where possible.
AquaSure is managing the occupation of the easement and the temporary occupation of the land required during construction. Pipeline contractor Thiess Degrémont Nacap is continuing to consult with landowners and is conducting condition surveys to guide restoration works as it builds the pipeline and installs the power and broadband cables.
The pipeline will cross 36 roads including 11 major roads and AquaSure has developed a Traffic Management Strategy to minimise the impact of changed traffic conditions on local communities during construction. You can find out more about traffic management in the Community section of this website, while current works notifications are listed on the Home page and in the Publications section.
Regular project development updates can also be found in the Publications section of this website.
You can download an overview map of the pipeline and power supply alignment or a more detailed map as well as a cross section of the pipeline easement.
