GOOGONG TOWNSHIP JOINS CANBERRA’S WATER GRID

A high-tech, multi-million dollar project to bring Googong township onto the region's main water supply is about to get underway near Googong Dam.

The project involves excavating and tapping into the 1.8 metre diameter bulk main from the Googong Water Treatment Plant to weld a new junction into the system for Googong residents. This is the final part of the $7 million bulk water connection, funded by Googong Township Pty Ltd, and delivered by ACTEW.

Googong Assistant Project Director Craig Harris says the process means combining 1960s technology with state-of-the-art fabricated materials, technology and techniques to bring the new water pipe in and to join it to the existing, original infrastructure.

"Already the original pipeline has been excavated and exposed in preparation for the new section to be attached," he says. "From here the process involves removing a section of the old pipe to join in the new Googong branch. While it sounds simple, it's a highly technical process in steep, rocky terrain and will involve a team of experts working around the clock to ensure everything runs quickly and smoothly."

The new section of pipe was fabricated in Maitland and ferried to Googong on four semitrailers. A local Canberra and Queanbeyan team comprising some of Australia’s best specialist engineers, welders and environmental managers will undertake and oversee the project on behalf of Googong and ACTEW to ensure it is completed properly. This includes a specialist process to tighten and seal the pipe’s three sets of 43 joining bolts. The bolts are worth more than $30,000, and each set will take six hours to complete.

Once the pipe is fully installed, another team will complete work on the internal lining before the main is ready to be brought into service.

"There are obviously challenges involved in such a large-scale undertaking, including the weather”, says Queanbeyan Mayor Tim Overall. “The good news is that we've all been planning and working towards this major milestone for nearly a year, so we expect everything will run like clockwork," he says.

"Both the team at Googong and ACTEW are highly skilled at these major infrastructure projects," Craig Harris says. "It will be another major and highly technical achievement towards building this terrific township and we are all understandably excited to get it underway."