Gladstone Area Water Board commences Awoonga Dam shutdown

Gladstone Area Water Board (GAWB) has commenced the first of two major shutdowns of Awoonga Dam.

Lake Awoonga will shutdown for six days as GAWB undertakes critical maintenance work.

Gladstone Area Water Board has commenced the first of two major shutdowns of Awoonga Dam this week, as part of its long term Dam Safety Management Program.

Under Queensland’s Dam Safety Management Guidelines, GAWB has an obligation to inspect Awoonga Dam conduit infrastructure regularly, similar to other operational dams throughout the state.

GAWB chief executive officer Darren Barlow said the shutdown was made possible thanks to construction of the $29 million Offline Storage Facility, which provided an alternative raw water supply when Awoonga Dam must be taken offline.

The shutdown is expected to take six days to complete.

A specialised maintenance team will perform the critical inspection work to ensure the effective operation, safety and longevity of Awoonga Dam.

“We have an ageing infrastructure network that requires a high degree of maintenance and inspection,” Mr Barlow said.

“This shutdown allows us to isolate and inspect the pipeline in the dam wall (known as conduit), identify any potential structural failure risks and prepare to repair them.

“The Offline Storage Facility ensures our ability to continue providing safe and reliable water services to our customers and broader community while safely undertaking these critical maintenance works at the same time.”

Mr Barlow said there was no need for customers to be concerned about their water supply during the shutdown.

“However waterwise practices are strongly encouraged at all times. As always, it’s important to be mindful of our water use,” he said.

“Our team continues to work hard to ensure minimal disruption and as much alignment with our customers as possible.”

The second shutdown is currently planned for September 2021.

GAWB will spend more than $170 million dollars on critical infrastructure upgrades and capital projects at Awoonga Dam over the next four years.

The Gladstone community is advised that Lake Awoonga Recreational Areas remain accessible to the public during this time.