Baroota raw water interface project

Key points:

  • SA Water’s emergency water supply at Baroota Reservoir had interface connections to the Morgan-Whyalla 1 and 2 major drinking water pipelines. This  presented a potential risk of untreated, raw water entering drinking water supply to our customers
  • Coordinating three complex major pipeline shutdowns enabled the physical disconnection of the redundant infrastructure with great success
  • An outcome not only improving SA Water’s trusted water services to our community but also future proofing maintenance with cost reducing outcomes

In a major shutdown, these spectacular photos demonstrate the size of this project, successfully removing three raw water interfaces between the Baroota Reservoir raw water pipework, and the Morgan-Whyalla 1 and 2 major drinking water pipelines.

Once one of the primary water sources for the northern Spencer Gulf, today Baroota reservoir, located to the east of Port Pirie, is offline and no longer supplying drinking water. Maintained only as an emergency water source in the unlikely event of a major failure of the Morgan-Whyalla pipeline. With interface connections at seven points along the Morgan-Whyalla pipelines, untreated, raw water from the Baroota Reservoir posed a potential water quality risk to our customers.

In just six months, Water Engineering Technologies teams successfully delivered the Baroota Raw Water Interface project on time and within budget, coordinating three major shutdowns to remove the raw and drinking water pipelines. This ambitious operation maintained critical infrastructure, managed the water security and supply risk, while minimising the impact to SA Water’s customers.

Taking the opportunity to optimise efficiencies now and into the future, we proactively removed two unrequired reflux valves and tapers, along with the installation of new scour valves future proofing maintenance.

Baroota valve lift

Fabrication team preparing to cut the existing Morgan-Whyalla 2 pipeline.

Baroota valve lift 2

Lifting out that same section of pipe being prepped in top photo and was a combined effort from our Maintenance trades (Fabrication, Mechanical) and 100t crane/rigging crew contracted to assist.

Baroota install

New pipework just after being craned into position with Maintenance Fabrication trades setting up to weld out the new section of pipe.