Wyatt Street bore nears completion
05 October 2016
A new water production bore at Wannon Water’s Wyatt Street depot in Portland is nearing completion.
The $3 million project will provide a back-up supply for the city’s primary drinking water which is sourced from two bores at Bald Hill.
Wannon Water Senior Project Manager Linton Hall said the project was essential to maintain a reliable and adequate water supply for Portland’s domestic customers and industries.
“The new bore will replace a 60-year-old bore at the Wyatt Street depot which has been assessed and shown to have reached the end of its service life,” Mr Hall said.
Construction company Drilling Contractors Australia has drilled to a depth of 1.3 kilometres into the Dilwyn Aquifer production zone and successfully installed the bore casing. Preliminary testing has shown positive results towards a target yield of around 100 litres per second with water at the surface reaching a temperature of up to 55 degrees Celsius.
“The contractors used an electric drilling rig, which is quieter than a standard diesel-powered rig, throughout the process in an effort to reduce noise impacts for surrounding properties,” Mr Hall said.
“However, noise at the site has recently increased due to the bore development process. This work includes cleaning the stainless steel screens which have been lowered into the bore.”
Mr Hall said the contractors have temporarily installed equipment including power generators, cooling towers and large air compressors on site to assist with the development process, which is expected to be completed within the next two weeks. .
Once bore development is completed, the temporary equipment will be removed from the site, the old bore decommissioned and the site rehabilitated. Local contractors will then complete some minor civil and electrical works to connect the bore to the existing infrastructure.
“Unfortunately the project has extended far beyond the initial works program due to difficult ground conditions that have required careful management to ensure the integrity of the bore,” Mr Hall said.
“Wannon Water would like to thank nearby residents for their understanding and patience during the long process. We are pleased to say that the project is expected to be fully completed by early December.”
