TasWater has started repair work on a water main in Burnie’s Fern Glade reserve which has sprung a leak.
The pipe feeds water to the Wivenhoe Reservoir and the damage which has caused the leak is located where the water main crosses the Emu River.
With the water main shut down, TasWater is now taking the opportunity to fix the leak and is advising residents and visitors of the progress of work.
To gain access to the damaged pipe, it is necessary to divert the flow of the Emu River around the repair area.
This will be done by building a bund made of sandbags to construct a dam to keep the water out the work area.
A pump will also assist in keeping the area dry to enable an excavator to work in the river bed.
TasWater General Manager, Operations and Maintenance Glen Jameson says “the project has been scheduled at this time of year to minimise the impact on visitors using Fern Glade which is particularly popular in summer for walks, barbeques and swimming.
“It’s also an advantage at present that the mouth of the Emu River has been flushed out on Wivenhoe Beach following high rain fall and coastal storms, with the river running freely to the sea.
“This has helped lower the overall depth of the river upstream near the damaged pipe.”
People walking in the Fern Glade area may notice increased truck movements and some extra noise during the repair period which is expected to take a week to ten days.
TasWater has complied with all environmental requirements with the work being carried out by local contracting company Treloar Transport.
The damage to the pipeline and its subsequent closure until it is fixed has no impact on TasWater customers as an alternative supply keeps the Wivenhoe Reservoir topped up.
“The repair of this pipeline is just one small part of TasWater’s commitment to maintaining and upgrading our water and sewerage infrastructure with plans to spend more than $300 million across the state over the next three years,” Mr Jameson said.
Customers seeking more information on the Emu River project can go to TasWater’s website www.taswater.com.au or call 13 6992.
Simon Pilkington, TasWater
