Water Supply Infrastructure
Investing in infrastructure to future proof our water supply.
Parkes Shire Council is strengthening water security for the Shire through a number of initiatives, and drawing on various water sources including dams, river, bores and recycled water.
The new Parkes Water Treatment Plant draws water from three sources – the Lachlan River, the bore fields, and Lake Endeavour Dam. The raw water is mixed, filtered, and disinfected and the potable water is sent to reservoirs waiting for you to turn on your tap.
Council operators test the drinking water network daily to ensure the water supply meets the requirements of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and is safe to drink.
The new Water Treatment Plant (WTP) was officially opened on 21 March 2018.
The $45m project will provide a safe, secure and reliable water supply for Parkes and Peak Hill, ensuring that the towns continue to grow and attract new business and residents. The NSW State Government contributed approximately approximately 45% of the project costs, providing Council with an $18 million subsidy through the Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program.
The new state-of-the-art facility is fully automated with minimal operator supervision required and employs the latest technologies for water production and water quality monitoring. The plant uses Dissolved Air Floatation (DAF) for clarification, a process that efficiently removes smaller particles, such as algae, from raw water, both reducing the amount of chemical dosing and eliminating the need for recurrent backwash. This ‘zero discharge’ means that the local waterways are not affected by wastewater releases from the WTP. It also has a minimal power requirement due to the utilisation of gravity filters, the construction of a High Level Reservoir, and the installation of a 107 kWp PV system (solar panels).
The new Water Treatment Plant is not only more efficient, it is also more productive. Most importantly, the new plant has double the capacity of the old WTP, and is capable of treating up to 16 Megalitres of water each day, ensuring the supply of quality water during peak seasons, and allowing Parkes to accommodate projected growth.
The WTP forms part of the multi-award winning Parkes Integrated Water Renewal projects, which recently won top Water Management honours in the Local Government NSW Excellence in the Environment Awards, and the Sustainable Systems Award at the Blue Star Awards.
The drive towards efficiency and long-term sustainability has been forefront, with Council adopting fiscally responsible processes at all stages of the project management.
Innovative procurement
To maximise the value of the construction of both the water and sewage treatment plant projects for its community, Council used unique and progressive tendering methods not usually undertaken by local government. Council used the Early Contractor Involvement process, and developed a framework in line with NSW Government procurement policy; incorporating Expression of Interest, Requests for Tender, and Intensive Workshops as part of the selection process. This process gave Council confidence in the cost of the projects and delivered a saving of $8m, as project risks were mitigated.
Sustainability
Parkes Shire Council is also working in partnership with the contractor, John Holland, to achieve a sustainability rating for both the water and sewage treatment plant projects through the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA). The ISCA rating scheme offers a voluntary sustainability performance evaluation of the planning, design, construction and operation of all infrastructure asset classes.
To date only two water treatment facilities and one sewage treatment plant have been certified under the scheme. Our projects have been registered to pursue Infrastructure Sustainability As Built and Operation ratings. The projects will be tracked collaboratively throughout construction and commissioning and the costs of pursuing the rating will be shared between Council and the contractor. Accordingly a joint sustainability policy and a joint sustainability management plan have been developed for the combined projects.
Key activities in relation to sustainability and the ISCA rating have included:
- Finalising planning for habitat connectivity and offset vegetation planting
- John Holland working on collating energy, water and materials data and producing projections for the same based on tendering information
- Finalising credit interpretation ruling application for the ISCA rating base case
- Progressing ISCA management, discharges and community health category credit summaries
- Submission of an 'IS Impact' award nomination with ISCA
- Closing out stakeholder participation audit actions
- Projected score for water discharges has had to be downgraded due to outfall channel incident
Water treatment plant project information
A map of Parkes' Water Supply Scheme which shows the position of the WTP plus all interface works associated with the project is available here.
A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Sheet for the WTP has been created to provide more information about the project and is available here.
The Review of Environmental Factors (REF) has been completed for the WTP and is available below.
Water Treatment Plant Review of Environmental Factors
Appendix A - Terrestrial and Aquatic Flora and Fauna Assessment
Appendix B - Hydrology and Hydrogeology Assessment
Appendix C - Acoustic Investigations Report
Appendix D - Air Quality Report
Appendix E - Non-Aboriginal Heritage Report
Appendix F - Aboriginal Heritage Report and AHIP Methodology
Appendix I - WTP Comprehensive Safeguards
Addendum 1 - Installation of Solar Panels
Architectural Impression of the new Water Treatment Plant
The Lake Endeavour Dam Safety Upgrades were completed in 2016. The project involved strengthening the dam to ensure the long term stability and integrity of the structure. The project also involved enhancing the dam for increased flood security.
Lake Endeavour Dam was constructed by manual labour in the 1930s as an Unemployed Relief Scheme project, with workers refusing to use machinery or labour-saving devices. The final cost of the new dam was £100,000.
The 2016 upgrade works involved strengthening the Dam embankment and spillway training wall to ensure long term stability and integrity of the structure. The relief spillway was widened and deepened, and the embankment crest was raised to provide increased flood security.
A Lake Endeavour early warning system website and dashboard has been developed and is available by clicking here.
These upgrades were essential to maintain Lake Endeavour Dam as a key water reservoir for the Parkes Shire and to ensure its continued safe operation over the next several decades.
The Lake Endeavour Dam Safety Upgrades were completed at a cost of $12.2 million, with Council receiving a $5.7m subsidy from the NSW State Government's Country Towns Water Supply and Sewage Program.
The Lachlan River provides raw water to the Parkes / Peak Hill water supply scheme.
In 2000 the Lachlan River Pump was installed as a relief measure during prolonged drought, with the 'temporary' pump remaining in use since then.
The Lachlan River Intake was upgraded in 2017 with the installation of a permanent, purpose-built pump, to strengthen the raw water supply to the new Water Treatment Plant.
The Lachlan River Pump Station and Bore 8 upgrades were jointly funded by the New South Wales Government and Parkes Shire Council. The Restart NSW Water Security for Regions program contributed $2.16m towards the projects.
The Parkes Shire Council operated borefield is adjacent to the Lachlan River.
The first bore was sunk in 1965, and was connected to the Parkes water supply by a 30km pipeline and pump stations. It now comprises 8 bores that extract water from up to 100m below ground level.
The Bore 8 Upgrade was undertaken in 2017 to help to meet Council's Secure Yield Strategy for a further 30 years. The new bore increases capacity while spreading the draw down of water over eight sites. This promotes sustainable extraction and minimises impact on the aquifer.
The Lachlan River Pump Station and Bore 8 upgrades were jointly funded by the New South Wales Government and Parkes Shire Council. The Restart NSW Water Security for Regions program contributed $2.16m towards the projects.