The Werribee Irrigation District (WID) is set to save an estimated $42 million through a modernisation project aimed at improving the efficiency of water delivery replacement with 16.2 kilometers of channels, pipelines, flow meters and the installation of 69 new automated customer outlets.
The Werribee Irrigation District supplies water to farmers in the Werribee Plains area, and the upgrade is expected to provide significant benefits to the region’s agriculture industry inlcuding improving the health of the Werribee River.
To enhance local irrigation and environmental outcomes the project aims to save 5,000 ML (Mega Litres) of water per year and is expected to be completed by 2014.
Southern Rural Water (SRW) Managing Director Cameron FitzGerald says the project would “increase the efficiency of how water is supplied, enhancing the reliability of local food production and improving the health of the Werribee River.”
According to FitzGerald the arrival of the pipelines was a major milestone for the project.
“This is a significant investment in the future of the WID and will ensure that farmers in the district have access to a reliable and efficient water supply for years to come,” FitzGerald said
Having invested more than $1 billion in the past five years, SRW is determined to ensure that the region’s water infrastructure is fit for purpose and able to meet the growing demand for water resources.
By modernising the water infrastructure in Victoria, SRW is paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable future, where access to clean, safe, and reliable water resources is a top priority.
Stages 1, 2, and 3 of the WID have been completed and are now operational thanks to funding from the Victorian Government. Additionally, the 4/1 pipeline project was completed in 2016 by SRW, resulting in two-thirds of the WID being piped. As a result, water efficiency has increased from 53% in 2014/15 to 74% in 2020/21.
In February 2021, SRW submitted an updated business case proposal to the National Water Grid Authority of Australia (NWGA) for the modernization of Stages 4 and 5.
The Commonwealth announced in May 2021 that they would also contribute 50% ($11M) of the funding required for the project, and SRW will match this contribution.
Over the next two years, SRW will pipe Stages 4 and 5. They will also upgrade the regulators on the Main Channel from the Werribee River that supplies the WID to improve district operation and reduce the risk of channel overtopping when the system is fully piped.
 starts construction on the next stages of the $42 million Werribee Irrigation District (WID) modernisation project){kind=link}