Blue Lake Pumping Station Modifications, SA Water

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The existing Blue Lake Pumping Station was commissioned in the early 1970s to be the primary supply of water to Mount Gambier and the surrounding districts in South Australia.

The pumping station is located on the northern side of the Blue Lake and consists of a floating pontoon structure (that pumps water to the bank of the Blue Lake), a secondary pumping station and anchor block (that pump the water up to the top of the crater), and associated infrastructure.

Monitoring has shown that the water level in Blue Lake is falling. The existing pontoon structure had a low water level limitation at which the pontoon structure would be grounded, therefore effectively rendering the pumping station inoperable.

GHD was commissioned to investigate options for extending the life of the water supply infrastructure, and following selection of the prepared option undertake the design, documentation and construction phase services for the project. The project involved relocation of the pumping infrastructure, which presented a number of challenges due to the lack of access and the location of the infrastructure on the face of the Blue Lake crater.

GHD worked with the contractors to incorporate construction issues and project risks into the design. The relocation of the infrastructure was completed in August 2008, and the project has extended the life of Mount Gambier’s water supply for at least an additional 25 to 50 years.

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