News

Contractor appointed for SMP metering upgrade

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 11:23:00

Lower Murray Water (LMW) today announced the contractor has been appointed for the Sunraysia Modernisation Project (SMP) to complete the upgrading and standardising of water meters on properties in Mildura, Merbein and Red Cliffs.

Comdain Civil Constructions Pty Ltd (Comdain) will co-ordinate the upgrade of approximately 2000 old-style mechanical irrigation water meters and 2000 domestic and stock outlets..
The new meters will measure water deliveries more accurately, provide more timely information to growers and Lower Murray Water and bring the Sunraysia district into line with required national metering standards.
Project Director, Mr Mike Walsh, said the new meters would also allow customers access to real-time metering data via the Lower Murray Water website.
“The new meters mean all customers across the three districts will be more equitably metered and supplied, and, importantly, they will have real-time access to their water-supply information,” Mr Walsh said.
“That means for the first time growers will be able to monitor online in real-time what water is actually being delivered to their properties, even when they are away from the property.”
Mr Walsh said the new meters would also build more efficiency and flexibility into the water delivery system as a whole.
“More accurate monitoring of where water is actually going means the system can run at maximum efficiency, providing water to as many properties as possible, particularly in peak operating periods such as summer heatwaves.”

Mr Walsh said Comdain would roll out the metering installations to remaining properties over the next 18 months.

Approximately 350 new meters have already been upgraded to meet a June 30 SMP project milestone.

The $120 million SMP is a joint initiative between the Commonwealth and Victorian State Governments and Lower Murray Water and involves a program of works to modernise the Mildura, Red Cliffs and Merbein irrigation districts.
Much of the district’s irrigation infrastructure is 50 to 100 years old, and the SMP represents the biggest upgrade of the irrigation infrastructure in the district’s history.  The SMP is funded from the Capital works budget and will not have an effect on the rural pricing structure.
Mr Walsh said tenders were closing in early July  for the major components of the project, the upgrading of district pumping stations and construction of new pipelines.
For more information about the SMP please visit our website www.lmw.vic.gov.au or contact our office 50510797.  Look out for us on twitter @lowmurwater and keep up to date with all our programs and initiatives.