Cairns $472 Million Water Supply Project Moves to Pre-Commissioning

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 1, multiple major components of the Cairns Water Supply Security Stage 1 project were completed, and water treatment facilities began entering pre-commissioning. The project has a total investment of A$472 million, and is currently connecting power supplies, installing major mechanical equipment and associated pipelines, followed by phased testing of pipelines, pumps, electrical systems, water treatment processes, and control systems. The project is scheduled for completion by mid-2027.

The project includes new water intake facilities at Mulgrave River, the Gordonvale Water Treatment Plant and storage facilities, as well as supporting works connecting the new intake to Cairns' existing water supply network; flood resilience upgrades are also being implemented at the existing Behana Creek intake facility. The new water supply system is designed to add a capacity of 60 megaliters per day.

To date, all 30 kilometers of new water transmission pipelines have been laid, with final connections and testing currently underway; the ultraviolet treatment building has been completed, and the 5-megaliter and 8-megaliter storage tanks have had their roofs and external works finished. External construction of the three-story administration building is in its final stages, with interior fit-out currently in progress.

The Dissolved Air Flotation and Filtration (DAFF) system at the water treatment plant is planned to be the first major treatment unit to enter commissioning, with commissioning expected to commence in late 2026. Over the following months, internal coatings and internal pipeline connections for the two storage tanks will also be completed, and power will be supplied to the treatment pump station; water will then be introduced in stages to the different units of the water treatment plant to verify the performance of the treatment and control systems.

The project is being delivered jointly by the Australian Federal Government, the Queensland Government, and Cairns Regional Council. The Federal Government and the Queensland Government have each committed A$195 million to date, totaling A$390 million, with the remaining funding provided by Cairns Regional Council. As of this milestone, the project has engaged with 164 local businesses, with related local procurement and contract expenditure exceeding A$144 million, and a cumulative total of over 1,343 people involved in construction.

The project entered construction in mid-2024 and reached approximately 50% construction progress by September 2025, at which point the major concrete works for the water treatment plant and the two storage tanks had been completed, and approximately 12 kilometers of the 30-kilometer pipeline network had been laid. At this milestone, pipeline installation has reached 30 kilometers, and the water treatment plant has further transitioned from main construction to equipment installation and pre-commissioning.