Official opening of $22M Wanneroo-to-Yokine water pipeline

12/12/96

A $22 million pipeline to make water supplies more secure in the northern half of the city was officially opened today by Water Resources Minister Roger Nicholls.

Mr Nicholls said the 18km Wanneroo-to-Yokine pipeline was the biggest pipeline project undertaken by the Water Corporation in the metropolitan area for 15 years.

It would allow the transfer of up to 200,000 kilolitres of water a day in either direction.

Water from ground sources in the Wanneroo area could now be transferred to the Yokine Reservoir for distribution to central and eastern suburbs, and Hills water could be transferred to Wanneroo for use in the northern suburbs.

While celebrating this improvement in the security of metropolitan water supplies, Mr Nicholls issued a strong appeal to metropolitan residents to be more vigilant in their use of water.

"Perth people seem to be slower this year to adopt the sensible, practical approach to the use of water that gave us such good results last summer," he said.

"Since July 1, water consumption has been up five per cent on the same period last year and we do not want this trend to continue.

"The extra 3,000,000 kilolitres of water this increase represents is the equivalent of filling Subiaco Oval to the height of the scoreboard 10 times over.

"Last summer, metropolitan residents reduced water consumption by 12 per cent.

"People were particularly good at limiting their use of garden sprinklers to the evenings after 6 pm or the early mornings up to 9 am and we want to see this waterwise practice fully observed again this year."

Mr Nicholls said the winter this year had been better than in the last few years, but the total dam storage serving the metropolitan area was still only 55 per cent of capacity.

Over the last 20 years the run-off into the dams had decreased by about 30 per cent and this had to be regarded as the norm for planning purposes.

The new Wanneroo-to-Yokine pipeline had been brought forward two years from the original planning schedule as a protection against a succession of dry winters.

"It offers us greater security, but we don't want to waste the advantages it gives us by squandering our precious water resources," Mr Nicholls said.

Media contact: Hugh Ryan 322 6529