A permanent water supply has been restored to Wingham, ensuring the community will have safe and secure access to water for the foreseeable future.
Contractors working for MidCoast Council finalised a direct connection between Wingham and Bootawa Water Treatment Plant this week via a new 750 metre water main that has been installed under the Manning River.
The new main replaces the previous water supply pipeline that was destroyed during the May flood.
With the new main secured deep within the rock beneath the river, the risk of Wingham's water supply being cut off during future floods has been greatly reduced.
Council's Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Services, Rob Scott, said it was a fantastic outcome to see a permanent water supply restored to the town so soon after it was cut off.
"Under ordinary circumstances, a project of this size would take at least a year to complete," said Mr Scott.
"But given the risks associated with the temporary water supply we had in place, we knew we had to move quickly. I'm really proud of the efforts of our staff, contractors and suppliers to see the project finished within the short timeframe."
The project was fast-tracked after Council resolved to negotiate directly with contractors and suppliers that had previously delivered large Council infrastructure projects, allowing work to get started straightaway.
Mr Scott said the project continued to face risks throughout delivery, especially during the drilling phase, but thanks to the professionalism of those involved, the plan was able to be adapted and the risks were appropriately managed.
"We were working on this project seven days a week, and it's a credit to the contractors and our staff that it's now complete," he said.
"I also want to thank the people of Wingham for their patience throughout this challenging period. They've shown incredible resilience and I'm glad we've been able to restore this essential service to them."
With land matters and the clean-up of the site to be finalised, the last of the project is expected to be finished by March 2026.
