Barwon Water – Bannockburn Recycled Water Pipeline Public Launch, August 2006.
“Drought proofing” is rapidly becoming the catch cry of the naughties. With water management now being largely conceived as the basis of any environmentally sustainable project, it makes economic sense to recycle as much of it as possible and there are the added benefits water management holds in minimising the damage to the environment.
In mid 2003, Barwon Water advertised for Registrations of Interest (ROI) in recycled water projects within their area near Geelong Victoria. Following the ROI process, a business case was developed which clarified the economic feasibility of supplying recycled water to the Bannockburn Golf Club.
After the business preliminaries were complete in January 2006, JHL Civil began construction of the 1.3km pipeline from the Bannockburn WRP (Water Reclamation Plant) to the Bannockburn Golf Course. The project consisted of 225mm dia PVC pipe reducing to 150mm dia and a 100mm PVC connection to the Golf Course’s irrigation system.
Operating under the Civil Contractors Federation’s Integrated Management System, JHL Civil ensured that the project was completed safely and with environmental accountabilities, on time and within budget.
The pipeline project was chosen for an official launch in August this year by the Honorable Elaine Carbines (Parliamentary Secretary for Environment Member for Geelong Province) and Barwon Water’s Board members Stephen Vaughan, Roger Lowrey and Richard Gould.
The launch was held in the clubrooms of the Bannockburn Golf Course, a course that is maintained predominantly by volunteers from the neighbouring Bannockburn township in Geelong’s West. The launch highlighted the potable water saving of 30,000 litres per week, as being amongst the benefits that the recycled water pipeline was to provide to the course including drought proofing it all year round which would ultimately raise membership numbers.
In a press release, Steve Fenwick, the Bannockburn course President, said “that the ultimate finish for this project would be the supply for further government funding to ensure that most effective irrigation of the recycled water to green the course”.
Recycled water will irrigate Bannockburn Golf Club in the town’s first connection to Barwon Water’s local treatment plant, Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Elaine Carbines said today.
Up to 30 million litres a year will be available, helping the community and the environment. Officially opening the connection, Mrs. Carbines said recycled water would be piped 1.3 kilometres from Barwon Water’s Bannockburn treatment facility to the golf course to irrigate tees, fairways and surrounds.”
Bannockburn Golf Club President Stephen Fenwick said “the recycled water would maintain the course in tip-top condition. Our club is run purely by volunteer members. We don’t employ greens keepers or maintenance staff, but now our course is ‘drought-proof’ thanks to recycled water,” Mr. Fenwick said.
Bannockburn Golf Club is a sand-scrapes course, meaning its ‘greens’ are not thirsty grass, but crushed quartz. Only the tees and fairways require irrigation, and this is all achieved through rainwater and recycled water. Our goal is to maintain a sand-scrapes course in a condition that is second-to-none, and one day, we might be able to replace our sand scrapes with grass greens, irrigated with recycled water.”
Ms Carbines said “Bannockburn Golf Club joins a growing list of customers ëtapping in’ to the valuable resource of recycled water, including other Victorian Surf Coast (approximately 2 hours west of Melbourne) golf courses in Torquay, Anglesea, Barwon Heads and Thirteenth Beach, sporting grounds in Anglesea, and several primary producers along the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast.”
The Golden Plains Shire provided $30,000 for the project, and further assisted the Bannockburn Golf club in obtaining a $50,000 Community Water Grant to help fund the construction of infrastructure (within the golf course) including pipes, pumps and an underground irrigation system. Water recycling is a key part of the Bracks Government’s Our Water Our Future campaign to secure Victoria’s water future.
Machinery
JHL Civil were the major contractor on the Bannockburn Project. As JHL specialise in the area of recycled water pipelines they have made the decision to purchase a specilaised Backhoe/Loader the Terex 980 Elite. This machine was the major one used in the construction of the 1.3KM long pipeline.
The influencing factor for JHL Civil’s decision to purchase a new backhoe was its ability to conform with the increasing demand of environmentally sensitive works. The need to conform with safety and environmental standards is of vital importance to the team at JHL Civil. It is a habitual theme that has become embedded in the fabric of the company’s’ culture, “we need to be constantly aware of how real the impact of pipeline construction works can be on the environment. This is particularly important when the projects we are working on are designed to nurture the environment” Marcus said.
It was imperative for the new machine to hold features that enabled it to operate in confined access projects. The real advantage that the Terex had to meet our project requirements over other backhoes on the market was the 4WS and crab steer. Another was the feature on the Terex that is known as pilot control, this is the ability to flick a switch to swap between b/hoe and excavator.
The 4WS ensured that we could turn in tight areas, when working on access tracks through Parks Victoria and the Department of Sustainability and Environment territory, we have a limited work zone to ensure that our impact on the surrounds of the access tracks are zero.
The crab steer suited the requirements to wind row in material for accurate and efficient bedding and backfilling large open cut trenches in tight areas. The option of the forks further provided safety benefits to ensure that we meet the manual handling requirements to move our pipes and fittings around and it further ensured that when working in remote areas we had the means to unload materials from delivery trucks. The Terex’s front bucket was large enough to enable use of the machine as a wheel loader when not using the rear end.
To gain a further perspective on JHL Civil, Marcus recommends a visit to www.jhlcivil.com.au
