Water Infrastructure to Improve Resilience

PUMPS TO IMPROVE FLOOD RESILIENCE

Infrastructure will reduce ponding during high rainfall events Adopting technology to enhance efficiency and accuracy

New pumps will be installed at Wherrett Park in Maclean, Bacon Street in Grafton, and Ardent Street in South Grafton to reduce ponding during high rainfall events.

The Wherrett Park pump under construction is part of the $677,805 Wherrett Park Flood Damage Renewal and Future Flood Resilience project. The increased pumping capacity will improve flood resilience for the multi-use recreational facility which caters for football, cricket, netball, children’s playgrounds, a skate park and community fitness equipment. This project is funded by the 2021 Community Local Infrastructure Recovery Program (CLIRP).

Preparatory work has started for the Bacon Street ($100,000) and Ardent Street ($200,000) pumps, which will be installed during the first half of 2023.

The two projects are funded under Category D of the Australian Government’s Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, along with flood immunity investigations of Iluka Road in the vicinity of the Esk River ($300,000), and Yamba Road ($150,000).

AUTOMATING WATER METER READING

AUTOMATIC meter reading will be rolled out over the next few years, which will allow water meters to transmit daily water consumption data over a radio network to Council. This will enhance efficiency and accuracy through the use of technology and will remove the need for manual readings that are completed every four months.

AUTOMATIC METERS WILL:

 Provide reliable data to assist in better management of the water network and future planning

 Allow customers to monitor their own water consumption

 Set alarms for high consumption to instantly track property leakages

 Significantly save staff time

PICTURED: Top; after the 2022 flood staff devised an innovative solution which included a temporary 900mm pipeline to accelerate pumping of stormwater ponded behind the Maclean levee. The new pump at Wherrett Park will reduce ponding during high rainfall events. PICTURED: Water meters are currently either physically read or scanned by staff driving by with remote transmitter devices.