THE Mundaring Weir upgrade project reached a milestone this month when a 400-tonne crane lifted a 42 tonne steel pipe into the dam’s intake tower.
The $14 million project will help modernise the weir by refurbishing the intake tower and pipe work, as well as building a visitor’s viewing platform.
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READ NOWPerth-based company Clough has about 180 workers involved in the project, which is expected to finish next month.
When complete, Water Corporation will be able to draw water from the dam at a lower depth, reducing the need to transfer groundwater or desalinated water into the dam to boost its level in low streamflow years.
“The 40m-long, 2.5m-wide pipe was manufactured and transported to the site from a workshop in Naval Base,” Water Minister Dave Kelly said.
“With our rainfall levels in decline as a result of climate change, this is an important upgrade that will allow the Water Corporation to continue to draw water from Mundaring Weir when its level is low.
“The upgrade also ensures communities supplied with drinking water from Mundaring Weir will continue to receive a reliable water supply for decades to come.”
The walkway across the top of the dam wall will remain closed and the Bibbulmun Track has a diversion in place until December.
The dam, built between 1898 and 1901, supplies drinking water to more than 100,000 people from Mundaring to Kalgoorlie.
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