Water & Wastewater

RECENT REPORTS

Report File
Mudgee Parks Irrigation Water Supply System Concept Study   (1344kb)
Rylstone Water Supply Reticulation System Hydraulic Analysis
Final Report 		  (3578kb)
Rylstone Water Supply - River Pumping Station Concept Design Report   (4548kb)
Effluent Irrigation Scheme at Kandos - Final Design Report Aug 09   (7637kb)
Rylstone, Kandos & Villages Water Supply Strategy Options Study   (3984kb)

WATER SUPPLY

Council provides a high quality sustainable water supply to the community for domestic use and has three water treatment plants providing reticulated water supplies for Gulgong, Mudgee and Rylstone / Kandos / Charbon / Clandulla.

To meet community aspirations the focus is to supply high quality water.  Council will continue with a water main replacement program that ensures a high quality of infrastructure and continues to deliver high quality water.

A major focus for Council will be to educate everyone on water conservation.  Water is no longer the freely available commodity that has been enjoyed in the past.  Council needs to think about tomorrow’s communities and their need to enjoy the same level of service as we have today.  Council believes firmly in voluntary water conservation rather than imposed restrictions; however, if State Water demands restrictions then Council will be left with no options.

Charges

In 2008/09, Council adopted a water charges structure that complies with State Government’s Best Practice Guidelines.  This requires an access charge based on capacity (water meter size) and a two-step pricing system for water consumption for resident customers.

Under Best Practice Guidelines, Council must generate at least 75% of its income from residential customers via usage charges.  Therefore, high volume water consumers will pay more than those who consume a lower volume of water.

In accordance with Best Practice Guidelines, business customers will be charged a flat rate per kilolitre without any step increase. To view the current Fees and Charges applicable to water usage, please click here.

These are the major works planned for this year:

  • Redbank Dam will have preliminary work on it to improve safety which involves the construction of an opening to allow the dam to act as a retention basin in storm events. Investigations will be conducted to ensure the dam is safe for extreme events (greater than a 1 in 100 year storm).
  • Replace old and failing water mains.
  • Continue installation / improvements to the telemetry network to improve monitoring of our system.
  • Continue metering of water use at Council parks to improve management of Council water supplies will continue
  • Commence work to provide raw water to major parks with extension of pipework and removal of cross connections.
  • Install a of new pump well and associated works to enable the extraction of water from the Rylstone Dam from the current 25% down to 2-3 %.
  • Upgrade the Rylstone treatment works and associated storages.
  • Development of an Integrated Water Cycle Management Plan for all water systems
  • Improve security of supply with construction of a Turkey's Nest Dam at Gulgong.

And in future years:

  • Install a new reservoir on Flirtation Hill at Gulgong in 2010/11.
  • Construct a new reservoir in the Rylstone System, and other augmentation works currently being finalised to meet current and future demands within the Rylstone area.
  • Continue the mains replacement program.

WASTEWATER (SEWER)

The focus of this activity is to provide highly efficient and effective sewerage systems that collect, treat and dispose of sewerage in an environmentally friendly manner.  Council operates sewerage schemes in:

  • Kandos
  • Rylstone
  • Mudgee
  • Gulgong

The treatment of sewer and all other wastewater in the community is vital to ensuring that Council has a good clean and healthy environment.  Council will continue to upgrade the sewer schemes to the highest standard that is affordable in the community and that will meet equivalent high environmental standards.

Based on a major review to be undertaken in 2009/10, Council is determining exactly what works are required over the next 30 years to ensure that Council caters for future growth with the future capital works program. The first detailed Strategic Asset Management will be presented to Council during the coming year.

Council needs to increase its sewer charges not only to cover the capital works proposed over the next five years but also to ensure that the existing schemes are maintained at a high standard.

These are the major works planned for this year:

  • Mudgee Sewer Scheme – It is Council’s proposal over the next two financial years to establish a new sewer treatment works off Hill End Road adjacent to the existing Mudgee Waste Facility.  Council has already purchased this land and will finalise the design of the new facility in 2009 then call tenders early in the 2009/10 financial year. 
  • Kandos/Rylstone Sewer Scheme - the detailed design of a new sewer treatment plant at Kandos will commence in the 2009/10 financial year with construction to start in 2010/11.
  • Mains and pump station upgrading works.  Council has an ongoing mains replacement and pump upgrading program each year to ensure that the assets remain of a high quality.

And in future years:

  • Decommissioning of the existing Kandos / Rylstone sewer treatment plants.
  • Continuing mains replacement.
  • Construction of the new sewer treatment plant at Kandos and extension of sewer lines to Charbon and Clandulla.