WONGAN HILLS TO MOORA
WATER PIPELINE
1091. Hon JIM CHOWN to the minister representing the Minister
for Water:
The Wongan Hills to Moora water
pipeline has been accessed by properties along its route for the past 24 years.
This access was made available through a government water project that included
contributions from both government and landowners. Recently, three-millimetre
flow restrictors have been placed on these farm water lines, restricting water
flow. These restrictors inhibit water flow to the point that stock,
firefighting and household requirements, to say the least, are challenging.
(1) Would the
minister please give an explanation for why restrictors have been placed on
farm water lines that access the Wongan Hills to Moora water pipeline?
(2) Have these
restrictions been put in place because the Wongan Hills to Moora water pipeline
has decayed to the point that it is unable to operate under its original
pressure specifications?
Hon DARREN
WEST replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question relating to this very important part of the
Agricultural Region. On behalf of the Minister for Regional Development
representing the Minister for Water, I provide the following answer.
(1) The water
main extension serving farming properties in the Wongan Hills–Moora
area was installed and commissioned in 1998 as part of the rural water strategy
program. As such, services on the scheme were subject to non-standard
conditions of service, including water quality, pressure and flow. Customers
were first advised of the non-standard conditions to their services on 9 September
1997. As a way of droughtproofing the farmlands, the water main extension serving
these properties was engineered to provide a maximum daily quantity of water.
Flow restrictors are an essential component of the scheme's design to
ensure that water is available to all users of the scheme.
Over the past five years, it has
become increasingly difficult to supply all customers, including those connected to the Wongan Hills town water supply
scheme. To address the supply issues, the Water Corporation has
commenced a maintenance program. Through that program, when it is discovered
that a flow restrictor is missing, it is being installed. In the event of a bushfire,
the Water Corporation cannot guarantee scheme water supply or pressure. During
an emergency, scheme water may not be available due to damaged infrastructure,
extreme demand or interruptions to power, which is used to pump water.
(2) No.