Carpentaria Shire Council Director of Engineering Matthew Fanning says that contractors faced many challenges during the $1.7 million repair of the Karumba Water Supply Pipeline, which runs from Normanton to Karumba.

“The project had to be completed in some of the most trying conditions and time constraints. The flood caused erosion on the riverbanks, which undermined the anchor blocks of the existing pipeline. The pipeline moved and a breach occurred.

“The river acted as a reservoir with an open pipe on its bed. Pressure tests were not possible as the valves were still under floodwaters. Equipment was slung out via helicopter to pressure test sections of the pipeline. The failure was eventually identified in the Norman River spanning some 500 m in length and 9 m deep,” Mr Fanning says.

State of emergency

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JR & LM Trackson was engaged under the emergency provisions of the Queensland Local Government Act to provide excavation works. The Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Environmental Protection Agency provided approvals during construction to allow the water supply’s reinstatement.

Meanwhile, the Australian Defence Force established a temporary water treatment plant in Karumba to supply its 600 residents with up to 400 kilolitres of water per day during the repairs.

Scope of repairs

A 560 m section of 250 mm diameter water main was replaced with a 315 mm diameter polyethylene pipe approximately 7 m under the riverbed using horizontal directional drilling (HDD).

Barges were used to carry the Vermeer D330x500 HDD rig to the repair site on the Normanton side of the river, and helicopters airlifted the rig onto a high ridge on a local property on the Karumba side.

JR & LM Trackson Managing Director Jeff Trackson says “We were then able to walk the 330 HDD rig in there and set up on bog mats. Because the 330 rig is self-contained, hook up the hose and you’re ready to drill.”

The high content of salt in the water also made tracking during repairs difficult, so a remote steering tool was used.

Creating minimal environmental disturbance was also a key consideration in using HDD.

“The original pipeline was placed on the riverbed utilising dozers and resulted in significant damage to the surrounding mangrove environment, riverbed and banks,” Mr Fanning says. Repairs began in March, and were completed in May 2009.

Drilling experience shines through

Mr Trackson has been using Vermeer equipment for more than ten years and highly recommends the equipment and services.

“I bought my first drill – a D16-20 – from Vermeer in February 1999. With all the drills, ploughs, trenchers and vacuum tanks I have purchased, the team at Vermeer has gone out of its way to make sure my operators know what the machines can and can’t do. I would strongly recommend them to anyone in the industry or about to enter the industry,” Mr Trackson said.

Mr Trackson has also used the Vermeer D330x500 rig for subsequent projects. “The drill is doing great. There was no trouble doing the water pipe in Karumba, as well as a 600 m shot under Cattle Creek for Telstra’s optic fibre, which was washed away in the floods.

“We are about to start six large diameter bores, one being a 600 mm x 300 m river crossing for Tenix Alliance in Mackay,” Mr Trackson said.