Unitywater and its construction partners have completed the installation of a new 2.6-kilometre pipeline set to increase the local water network’s capacity to deliver safe and reliable supply to the Sunshine Coast’s growing Harmony community, which is expected to be home to more than 21,000 people by 2036.
The project is part of Unitywater’s $1.8 billion capital investment over the next five years to maintain the reliability of the region’s water and wastewater networks and expand their reach to enable population and economic growth.
A team of 25 workers began constructing the new pipeline in August 2023. It will be commissioned in July next year, following the completion and connection of a new nearby water storage reservoir.
Unitywater Executive Manager Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions Mike Basterfield said the pipeline milestone marked the project’s halfway point.
“Ductile iron cement-lined pipe was trenched down Tanawha Road and along Bellflower Road. Crews are completing the last reinstatement works to replace footpaths, trees and lawns that needed to be removed,” Mr Basterfield said. “Horizontal directional drilling was used to install a high-density polyethylene pipe between Springhill Drive and Creekside Drive and beneath a local creek to avoid disturbing the natural environment in this area. All eyes are now on the Tanawha reservoir site, with 10-meter-high concrete walls being lifted into position to form the storage, which will hold up to 12 million litres of drinking water, ready to travel down the pipe towards new homes in Harmony.”
Andy Parker, Program Manager for McConnell Dowell, Unitywater’s construction partner for the project, said the successful installation of the new pipeline was due to support from the local community.
“Local residents and businesses have been working with us on this project for almost a year, and without their support and understanding, none of this would have been possible,” Mr Parker said. “Putting large new pipes underground will always create some disruption, but with great communication lines into the local community, we have ensured this was done with a no-surprises approach. We have had some great conversations with the local residents in the areas we have worked and greatly appreciated the kindness they have shown us.”
For more information on Unitywater’s Harmony water project, visit: https://communityhub.unitywater.com/aura-wastewater-project