New Tailem tank ticks off construction milestone

Almost 500 cubic metres of concrete laid the foundations of a new drinking water storage tank at Coomandook, as works progress on a $10 million upgrade to improve water security for SA Water customers supplied through the Tailem Bend to Keith pipeline.

Construction of the new nine-megalitre tank, which will boost the pipeline's water storage capacity by approximately 30 per cent, is one of 111 tanks SA Water is refurbishing across the state as part of an $89 million investment between 2016 and 2020.

SA Water's General Manager Asset Operations and Delivery Mark Gobbie said 27 concrete trucks between  Murray Bridge and Coomandook helped to safely pour the enormous concrete slab successfully on site.

"The new tank will increase water storage for our customers in the Lower Murray, Mallee and Upper South East, and help reduce the potential for power issues or pump failures to cause supply interruptions," Mark said.

"Crews are on-track to have the new tank brought on line by March 2019, with foundations complete and 28 concrete wall panels safely lifted into place using a 400 tonne crane.

"The pipeline is the primary source of drinking water for more than 10,000 people, and increasing the area's water security will support increasing water demands from the growing population and economy."

The new tank will be 5.8 metres high, 47 metres in diameter and covered with an aluminium roof to ensure the safety of treated water within the network.

Being built by South Australian company Leed Engineering and Construction, the new tank will operate alongside the existing Coomandook water storage tank.

The Tailem Bend to Keith pipeline and existing tank were built in the 1960s and feed 800 kilometres of branch mains that cover an area of more than 6,470 square kilometres, including Coonalpyn, Meningie, Culbarra and Keith.

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