Water supply upgrade – Menindee and surrounds

Essential Water is receiving regulatory funding from the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal NSW (IPART) to ensure it can continue to provide a long term water supply.

Essential Water owns and operates approximately 200 kilometres of pipelines from Silverton to Menindee in far west New South Wales. To provide these services, it maintains a network of dams, water pumping stations, water treatment plants, service reservoirs, town reticulation, sewerage pumping stations, sewage treatment plants and other related infrastructure.

The funding will deliver a suite of major projects including:

  • Construction of a small pipeline to supply graziers along the existing Menindee pipeline that will backflow water from Stephens Creek once the existing Menindee Pipeline is decommissioned
  • Construct a small pipeline and pumping station to supply potable water, for the first time, to Sunset Strip
  • Replace the Menindee Water Treatment Plant with a larger and more current plant to upgrade supply in Menindee and to Sunset Strip.

We will be working directly with customers who are expected to be impacted by decommissioning and construction activities throughout the planning process. We will also ensure all affected customers are informed at least two days before any planned works that may impact their water supply.

Throughout the design and construction of these projects, we will publish regular updates on this site. If at any time you have a question you can ask this on the 'Ask A Question' tab, or call us on 13 23 91.

Menindee Pipeline

Essential Water is committed to maintaining a non-potable water service for Menindee Pipeline customers.

Funding for a smaller pipeline has been allocated by IPART for the current regulatory period (1 July 2019 to 30 June 2022). This project is now underway, with detailed land survey and environmental assessments being undertaken.

The preliminary and detailed design and technical specifications for the pipeline and associated infrastructure will be completed in the first quarter of 2020 with construction due to commence shortly after. The exact date of commencement will be subject to environmental planning approvals.

Public Works Advisory (PWA) has been engaged as technical engineering and design specialists to ensure the pipeline will meet the agreed demand requirements. The pipeline will not become operational until testing and commissioning at each individual grazier’s off-take points has occurred, to ensure that the pipeline works as specified.

All customer concerns and queries will be considered as part of the preliminary detailed design.

Menindee and Sunset Strip upgrade

The Menindee pipeline which until recently was the main supply of raw water for Broken Hill, Sunset Strip, the Menindee Caravan Park and graziers is nearing the end of its lifespan. The existing 600mm pipeline from Menindee to Stephens Creek Reservoir will be decommissioned following the completion of the new Wentworth to Broken Hill pipeline. The large diameter of the existing Menindee Pipeline makes it unsuitable for continued supply to existing customers. In addition, the existing micro filtration plant at Sunset Strip has also reached the end of its serviceable life and requires replacement.

A fit-for-purpose small diameter pipeline will be constructed to continue supply of reliable water to the residences of Sunset Strip and Menindee caravan park. The pipeline will be supplied from a new water treatment plant, being constructed in Menindee, improving water quality from treated raw or raw water to potable water at these locations. These combined works will ensure that residences and visitors have access to potable water that meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. Once these upgrades have been completed, the existing unreliable and costly micro filtration plant at Sunset Strip will be removed. The pumps station at the Interconnecting Channel between Copi Hollow and Lake Menindee will also be decommissioned.

All concerns and queries will be considered as part of the preliminary detailed design.