Why is this work taking place?
As Perth continues to experience the impacts of climate change, the decision was made in July 2016 to expand our Groundwater Replenishment Scheme.
This will provide better certainty for Perth's water supplies.
How were the recharge sites selected?
We worked closely with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation to identify locations suitable to recharge this recycled water, with the final sites selected at the pine plantation in Wanneroo and at a site further north in Neerabup.
How was the pipeline route selected?
As the pipeline is being constructed to transfer water from the Advanced Water Recycling Plant in Craigie to the two offsite recharge sites in Wanneroo and Neerabup, its ideal route is along the eastern side of Lake Joondalup. The final pipeline route was selected in consultation with other government departments, taking into account impacts to the community and the environment, safety, constructability and cost.
What work is involved at the recharge bore sites?
Two recharge bores and two monitoring bores have been constructed and tested at each recharge site. The work included site preparation and geotechnical surveys, drilling and casing to depths of up to 1400 metres. Installation of the aboveground bore infrastructure will include a recharge pump building, a switch room building, a balance tank, a high voltage metering unit, switchgear and transformers, and an emergency overflow sump.
What work is involved for the recharge pipeline?
The majority of the pipeline is being constructed using open trenching techniques, which involves excavating a trench and laying lengths of pipe up to 2m below the surface, backfilling the excavation and then reinstating the surface including roads and parklands.
How will the work impact the community?
Construction work can have local noise impacts. Before beginning work, we establish baseline noise levels in the area and continue to monitor noise levels during the work to check that the noise generated from the works are within allowable limits. We also mitigate noise impacts with the use of noise blankets and barriers were possible.
When working at night we aim to position any lights away from neighbouring properties.
As there will be increased traffic in the area from the work, we also put in place traffic management to ensure vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists can move around the work areas safely.
We will generally maintain access to nearby properties. If there are minor access delays, we will notify you beforehand.
How is this work being communicated to local residents?
We notify the local community about upcoming work via letters or notifications in the letterbox and public notices in the local newspaper. We also keep the project website up-to-date and provide contact details so members of the community can request more information from us.