Image: SRW Twitter
Southern Rural Water (SRW) has started construction on the next stages of the $42 million Werribee Irrigation District (WID) modernization project.
The project will see the replacement of 16.2 kilometers of channels with pipelines, the installation of 69 new automated customer outlets and flow meters, and the upgrade of channel regulators at Werribee Weir and Conquest Drive.
The project is expected to save 5,000 ML (Mega Litres) of water per year, which will be used to enhance local irrigation and environmental outcomes.
SRW Managing Director Cameron FitzGerald said 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.”
The WID is 30 kilometers southwest of Melbourne and specializes in growing vegetables and leafy salad with a farm gate value of more than $187 million per year.
The project is expected to be completed in 2024. SRW also announced yesterday that the fresh new pipelines for the project have arrived.
FitzGerald said 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,” he said.
The WID modernization project is part of SRW’s commitment to investing in the water infrastructure of Victoria. The company has invested over $1 billion in water infrastructure projects in the past five years.
