- Milestone achieved as vital upgrades to secure Perth’s water supply future completed
- $7.7 million refurbishment pours new life into State’s oldest reservoir
- $10 million project to upgrade and upsize pipelines to continue reliable water services for Perth’s growing population
To ensure reliable future water supply to the Perth CBD and western suburbs, Water Corporation has completed two major projects, adding years of life to vital infrastructure within Kings Park.
Perth’s oldest reservoir, the 130-year-old Mount Eliza Reservoir, has received a $7.7 million upgrade as part of Water Corporation’s Pipes for Perth program.
Works involved replacing two ageing water-pipe inlets, and the construction of a new regulating valve building, valve pit, and valve pit wall, which runs along Wadjuk Way.
At the time it was built, Mt Eliza Reservoir supported Perth’s entire population of just over 10,000 people, with water sourced from the Queen Victoria Dam on Munday’s Brook in the Darling Range. Today, the reservoir supplies water to more than 178,000 people living in 80,000 homes in the City of Perth and the western suburbs.
During the second phase of works at Kings Park, a reservoir outlet valve and pipework was replaced, and approximately 700m of century-old pipe was upgraded and upsized to carry on the reservoir’s legacy and meet the needs of our growing city, while improving the security and reliability of water supply.
The $10 million project took place adjacent to Mt Eliza House, along Kattidj Close and tunnelled under Fraser Avenue.
The decision to tunnel under Fraser Avenue was made to avoid impacting the iconic tree-lined promenade along Fraser Avenue, and to minimise disruption to the public.
Water Corporation worked in partnership with the Botanic Garden and Parks Authority throughout the project.
The works to upgrade the pipeline and reservoir are part of Water Corporation’s Pipes for Perth program, which began in 2016 to renew vital infrastructure and to mitigate the risk of future leaks and bursts.
Since 2016, Water Corporation has renewed 210km of pipes at a cost of almost $245 million.
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Comments attributed to Water Minister Simone McGurk:
“These improvements are necessary to ensure Perth’s water supply reliability and security long into the future.
“Many of the pipes in Kings Park were close to 100 years old and were designed to carry water in a very different time. Since they were installed, the population of the Perth metropolitan area has increased 200-fold.
“The Cook Government is committed to the continuing investment to renew hundreds of kilometres of water mains across the Perth metropolitan area.
“The work in Kings Park was done in two phases, over seasons when demand for water was low, to minimise disruption for the thousands of people who flock to the park every year, especially for the Everlasting Kings Park Festival.
“The switch over to the new water pipes was a mammoth operation and was completed by a dedicated team over a week in August with no disruption to more than 200,000 customers, 15 hospitals, 40 school and the CBD.”
