Work has begun on water supply system upgrades in and around Mardi Dam.

The $46 million project is being carried out by Baulderstone Pty Ltd and will continue until late 2010. A site office has been established at the Dam and excavation work has begun in accordance with a Review of Environmental Factors document prepared last year.

The work will provide a new intake tower, pump station and associated pipework at Mardi Dam which will more effectively transfer water from Mardi Dam to Mardi water treatment plant. The transfer capacity will increase from the current 100 million litres a day to 160 million litres a day.

The work also involves the design and construction of a new ‘high lift’ pump station at Mardi Dam which will provide greater capacity to pump water to Wyong Shire and Gosford City households and businesses.

Wyong Shire Mayor, Bob Graham said it was very pleasing to see construction underway for this important water infrastructure project.

“This project represents another major investment in our water supply system by Wyong Shire and Gosford City Councils. It will help to enhance our town water services for at least the next 20 years,” he said.

“Baulderstone has already started excavation work around the area and they will soon start laying foundations for the two new pump stations. The project should be complete by November 2010.”

In conjunction with the Mardi Dam upgrade works, the Councils have engaged Poles and Underground Pty Ltd to upgrade the power supply needed to meet increasing electricity demands at Mardi Dam.

“The power supply upgrade is a $4 million project and is also now underway and should be completed by December this year,” said Mayor Graham.

“Motorists will no doubt see the power upgrade work taking place as they drive around the area and we ask them to please be patient while the traffic controls are in place.”

Gosford City Mayor Chris Holstein added: “The Central Coast Community may have also noticed a slight reduction in storage levels over the past few weeks, this is also due to the current Mardi Dam works.

“In order for us to build the new intake tower we needed to allow Mardi Dam to naturally drop to its current level of 84 per cent.

“As the works progress dam levels will be allowed to fluctuate to allow for the installation of the new intake tower.

“The work has been timed to follow the natural cycle of the dam and to ensure the levels will recover quickly once the work is complete.”