News & Discussion: Water Infrastructure

[rhino]

I thought the growers consortium that owns the existing pipeline was going to contribute the other half of the funds and that it was only waiting for the state government to approve the project?

I couldn't find that in the article anywhere, but if that is the case, then I apologise for my rant!

By the way, the pipeline extension got approved last night. Mark Parnell (Greens) is inow sugesting that rather than too late, it's not enough, and it should be extended to the Barossa Valley. From what you're saying, I guess it's up to the growers up there to push their barrow now and get some help with the funding.

[AG]

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 01,00.html

City plan to use recycled water
GREG KELTON, STATE EDITOR
April 23, 2008 12:30am
A $5 MILLION plan to save one billion litres of drinking water a year by piping recycled water into city buildings has been proposed to the State Government.

The plan calls for recycled water from Glenelg to be plumbed through all cooling towers in commercial buildings in Adelaide's central business district.
The Property Council plan, to be unveiled today, calls for a $60 million pipeline from the Glenelg WasteWater Treatment Plant, to be extended to allow more city buildings to use the water.

Preliminary planning on the 30km pipeline already is under way with construction expected to begin either late this year or early next year.

The council has written to Premier Mike Rann and Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald outlining the plan.

President James Sarah said there were plans to direct recycled water into what would be Australia's highest rated six-star green building, VS1 in Victoria Square.

The building will be the new home of SA Water.

Under existing plans, the pipeline from Glenelg creates a circuit around the city, irrigating major parklands.

"Since the water is scheduled for non-drinking purposes in VS1, it will be suited for similar purposes in other buildings," Mr Sarah said.

Preliminary estimates by the Property Council show one billion litres of water a year could be saved by directing it into cooling towers.

That is the equivalent of 4000 Olympic-sized swimming pools or enough water to service all units and apartments in the Holdfast Bay Council area.

While the Government would be urged to pay the $5 million for the pipeline extension, building owners would pay the costs of plumbing the recycled water into buildings.

"The $60 million pipeline project is a significant outlay and it makes sense to maximise the state's environmental return for this investment," Mr Sarah said.

He said the $5 million cost was "an insignificant outlay when considering the benefit to the state and the River Murray in saving one billion litres of potable water a year".

Ms Maywald said the Government's intention was to expand the use of the pipeline as demand grew.

Some businesses and local government bodies had signalled they would like to use the recycled water.

"It was always intended this was the first step towards getting the pipeline into the city and we are prepared to work with the business sector to look at ways of saving water," she said.

"The Government has always envisaged there would be more use of the water from the pipeline."

[Howie]

Ah this was what Councillor Yarwood was mentioning the other day on the forum. Sounds like a great solution to our cbd water problems. Does that mean we might be able to fill up rymill park lake again?

[AG]

This is similar to a project that was undertaken in Toronto a few years ago. In Toronto, they used cold water from the bottom of Lake Ontario and piped it directly to Toronto's downtown area for use in building cooling systems.

[Wayno]

fantastic news - sooner is better...

[Edgar]

excellent idea, Adelaide city would in no time, be the greenest city in Australia, with so many new buildings winning high green ratings.

[Omicron]

A good idea indeed. There was an information stall staffed by smartly-dressed council-types in the front foyer of my exclusive boutique fashion retailer (*cough* discount department store), and it looked quite promising based on the plans displayed.

[Wayno]

Anyone know what percentage of Adelaide's annual water consumption this initiative will save? supposedly 1 billion litres will be recycled...

[rhino]

Grant Cameron interviewed a woman from the parklands preservation society bout this last week. She was against the idea because it would require building pumping stations in the parklands, and that was just unacceptable.

[monotonehell]

Grant Cameron interviewed a woman from the parklands preservation society bout this last week. She was against the idea because it would require building pumping stations in the parklands, and that was just unacceptable.

Some people have agenda so high on their brain that they can't think past it. If you want parklands you need water and if you want water you need the recycling system.

[Wayno]

personally i'm not fussed, but i'd prefer not to see an industrial pumping station surrounding by tall mesh fencing in the parklands.

Presumably only one pumping station is required, and it could easily be located adjacent to the parklands - perhaps in the western railyards near keswick/mile end?

[monotonehell]

personally i'm not fussed, but i'd prefer not to see an industrial pumping station surrounding by tall mesh fencing in the parklands.

Presumably only one pumping station is required, and it could easily be located adjacent to the parklands - perhaps in the western railyards near keswick/mile end?

I'm not overly fussed either but it makes sense to cost the parklands a little space in a hidden dark corner for their benefit of more green foliage and water features instead of using some of the railyards site which might be used for better railway purposes or something else.

[rhino]

There are already pumping stations in the parklands. Some have been there for over a century and are now disused. They are housed in old stone or brick buildings and most people don't even see them, they are so unobtrusive. The woman from the Parklands Preservation Society cited them. It was almost as if she'd got hold of an old E&WS Dept map and gone looking for the things.

[monotonehell]

There are already pumping stations in the parklands. Some have been there for over a century and are now disused. They are housed in old stone or brick buildings and most people don't even see them, they are so unobtrusive...

Exactly.

[Wayno]

any idea of the proposed pathway for the pipeline? i presume it would be quite a small diameter pipe...