The proposed Connors River Dam and Pipeline Project is a major component of SunWater’s water supply strategy, which involves the completion of $4 billion in bulk water infrastructure projects over the next five years to underpin SunWater’s own supply network and to support Queensland’s mining and urban customers.

With a combined project value of almost $1 billion, the proposed dam and pipeline are set to supply the Bowen and Galilee basins with up to 49,500 ML of additional water.

Pipeline parameters

A 133 km long large-capacity pipeline will transport the majority of the dam’s yield to the town of Moranbah, after which a separate 276 km buried pipeline will deliver up to 25,000 ML further south to Alpha.

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Coupled with the dam, the pipeline’s design has been refined during SunWater’s early tenderer involvement (ETI) process that saw contractors from competing firms bring together their construction smarts to deliver an innovative solution.

Before final design approval – which is expected in late 2011 – the pipeline configuration consists of a single dry-well high-lift pump station in the vicinity of the Connors River Dam; 113 km of 1,500 mm diameter mild steel cement-lined (MSCL) pipe; followed by a 23 km section of 1,200 mm MSCL pipe.

The pipeline itself will comprise numerous pipeline structures including a 5 ML concrete balance tank, isolating valve pits, swabbing stations, surge tanks, flow meters, air valve structures, and scour outlets.

In order to provide water to the township of Nebo, a 22 km, 225 mm diameter polyethylene lateral pipeline from the Connors to Moranbah Pipeline to Nebo is also proposed.

Design considerations

    Major considerations impacting the final design of this large diameter pipeline have included:

  • Design requirements where the pipeline route travels through existing and planned coal mining areas, both open cut and underground;
  • Design of the pipeline route through mountainous terrain as it approaches the dam site;
  • Design of major river and creek crossings that flow year-round;
  • Interaction with the construction phase at the dam to ensure the pipeline and dam pump station are completed simultaneously;
  • Finalising the route of a large diameter pipeline through Moranbah; and,
  • Locating large reserves of sand and water to enable construction to progress unimpeded.

Collaborative planning

Alongside the ETI process is SunWater’s co-ordination of the environmental impact statement (EIS) and consultation with key stakeholders along the proposed pipeline route.

Now in the supplementary report phase of the EIS process, SunWater’s investigations and consultation process has factored in social, economic and environmental factors to arrive at a plan that mitigates any potential adverse impacts.

The pipeline’s expected construction start date is for 2012, with commissioning commencing 2014.

Beyond Connors River

While the Connors River Dam Pipeline will boost water supply as far as Moranbah, SunWater is also now investigating a number of other similar pipeline projects for customers located further south in the Galilee and Surat mining basins to satisfy their increased demand for water.

Projects such as the estimated $600 million Moranbah to Alpha Pipeline, the $30 million Burdekin to Moranbah Pipeline and the Gorge to Byerwen Weir Pipeline will provide the majority of water to mining operators in Queensland’s booming coal industry.

Early estimations show that the water transported by the Moranbah to Alpha Pipeline project alone will underpin approximately 80 MMt/a of additional regional coal production for output.

Supplying to central Queensland

Although in the early approvals phase, SunWater is also investigating a $1.4 billion program in the Surat Basin and the Dawson-Callide sub-region of central Queensland to provide long-term, reliable water supplies to mining, power, urban and agricultural customers.

The Nathan Dam and Pipelines Project is a major initiative located upstream of the Nathan Gorge on the Dawson River, approximately 75 km downstream of Taroom.

Demand assessments for the project show sufficient interest and at present indicate the bulk of customers will be new and existing mines in the Surat Coal Basin.

These customers will be supplied by the Nathan Dam Pipeline, a proposed 260 km trunk pipeline co-located with pre-existing infrastructure such as road easements and gas pipelines.

SunWater intends to continue to facilitate the growth of regional Queensland and assist other industry sectors to fully reach their potential through its existing and future water supply infrastructure developments.