The capital expenditure program will include 108 infrastructure projects across the utility’s five service regions – Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and Somerset.
Queensland Urban Utilities CEO Louise Dudley said a key focus of the capital works program was building new infrastructure to cater for south east Queensland’s population growth.
“It is important that we continue to plan and build for the future to ensure we have a sustainable water and sewerage network for many years to come,” she said.
“Queensland Urban Utilities determines capital expenditure in each region on a needs basis and one of our key considerations is population growth.”
Some of the growth areas earmarked for new infrastructure include Rochedale in Brisbane, Rosewood in Ipswich, Plainland in the Lockyer Valley, Beaudesert North in the Scenic Rim, and Fernvale and Lowood in the Somerset region.
Ms Dudley said another major priority in 2014-15 was replacing ageing infrastructure in Queensland Urban Utilities’ vast water and sewerage network.
“We have almost 9,000 km of watermains and 9,200 km of sewerage mains and the average age of the pipes in our network is between 20 and 50 years old,” she said.
“Under our rolling renewal programs, we will replace 29 km of watermains and reline 24 km of sewerage mains in 2014-15.”
Major projects to be undertaken by Queensland Urban Utilities in 2014-15 include:
- Brisbane – Bulimba Creek Trunk Sewer Upgrade – $A13.86 million spend in 2014-15, total project cost $A40.49 million. A new trunk sewer will be constructed between Wecker Road, Mansfield to the Pacific Golf Club at Carindale. The 2,165 m sewer line will operate in parallel with the existing trunk sewer and cater for the area’s forecasted population growth.
- Rochedale Water Infrastructure Upgrade – $A1.02 million spend in 2014-15, total project cost $A23.09 million. This project will include the construction of a new 10.8 ML water reservoir, supply lines and booster pumps to cater for new residential development in Rochedale.
- Ipswich – Rosewood Sewer Catchment Upgrade – $A6.1 million spend in 2014-15, total project cost $A10.5 million. The project includes the construction of a new sewage pump station and sewer mains from Ipswich-Rosewood Road to Rosewood Sewage Treatment Plant. The upgrade will improve service to the existing network and cater for future growth in eastern Rosewood.
- Ipswich Water Mains Renewal – $A17.66 million spend in 2014-15. This project will involve replacing 13,591 m of watermains at 18 sites throughout Ipswich.
- Lockyer Valley – Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrades – $A1.02 million spend in 2014-15, total project cost $A9.53 million. The capacity of the sewage treatment plants in Gatton, Forest Hill and Laidley will be increased to cater for population growth. Work will commence in 2014-15 with the project expected to take two years to complete.
- Lockyer Valley Water Mains Renewal Program – $A399,000 spend in 2014-15. This project will involve replacing 610 m of watermains in Gatton, Laidley and Forest Hill.
- Scenic Rim – Rathdowney Reservoir – $A900,000 spend in 2014-15, total project cost $A1.65 million. The existing 50 kl water reservoir will be replaced with a new 200 kl reservoir on a new site on the northern side of Rathdowney.
Scenic Rim Water Mains Renewal Program – $A429,000 spend in 2014-15. This project will involve replacing 510 m of watermains at two sites in Beaudesert. - Somerset – Lowood Sewer Catchment Upgrade – $A1.7 million spend in 2014-15, total project cost $A2.4 million. The Lowood sewerage network will be upgraded to cater for population growth in the Eagle Rise residential development.
Somerset Water Mains Renewal Project – $A298,000 spend in 2014-15. This project will involve replacing 570 m of watermains in the township of Toogoolawah.