A $95m pipeline to connect Beaudesert to the water grid is well underway, with Brookland Road at Gleneagle a hive of activity as crews lay sections of pipe underground.
The 27km South West Pipeline is the second stage of the Beaudesert Water Supply Upgrade and will connect Beaudesert Water Treatment Plant on Helen Street to the Cedar Grove Weir.
Beaudesert will be the biggest addition to the SEQ Water Grid in a decade, and the last off-grid major population area in the South East to be connected to the grid.
On a recent visit to Bromelton Offstream Storage Site and the Brookland Road Worksite, Minister for Water Glenn Butcher was told 3.5km had been installed so far and the pipeline is set to be completed by the end of 2022.
In a 10 May letter to residents from Comdain – the company awarded the pipeline contract – project director Damian Barlow said they had completed their first horizontal directional drill crossing of the Logan River and were preparing for the second at Undullah Road.
Minister Butcher told the Beaudesert Bulletin there were about 100 jobs in the construction phase and government procurement policy dictated preference be given to locals.
The Minister said connecting Beaudesert to the grid would support growth.
“The Scenic Rim is experiencing a period of significant growth, with more than 67,000 people expected to call this community home by 2041,” he said.
“The area has also become a regional hub for large-scale freight and transport operations, thanks to the Bromelton State Development Area. Connecting Beaudesert to the SEQ Water Grid will shore up local water security.”
Seqwater CEO Neil Brennan said the pipeline would be the biggest addition to the SEQ Water Grid since the Northern Pipeline Interconnector in 2012.
“The way the SEQ Water Grid connects drinking water supplies across our region is a unique system in Australia. It provides us with more options to manage water supply challenges arising from sporadic rainfall, drought, climate change and population growth,” he said.
“We are continuing to invest in water infrastructure projects to ensure our region has a secure and adaptable water supply.”
The first stage of the Beaudesert Water Supply Upgrade was two reservoirs constructed at Beaudesert Water Treatment Plant in 2020 with a combined 5.1 million litre capacity.
The third and final stage of the Beaudesert Water Supply Upgrade will be a new water treatment plant at Cedar Grove Weir, with water supplied from Wyaralong Dam and the Logan River. The Beaudesert Water Treatment Plant will be decommissioned when the new plant is fully operational.
Minister Butcher told the Bulletin there was not yet a fixed date for delivery of stage 3.
For more information visit www.seqwater.com.au/project/beaudesert-water-supply-upgrade
