Conference Papers | 2009 Conference Papers

WELL, WELL, WELL - DRIFT WELL RECOMISSIONING, AN OPERATORS PERSPECTIVE

Adrian Cameron, Team Leader Water Headworks, Tamworth Regional Council

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INTRODUCTION

Tamworth is located approximately halfway between Sydney and Brisbane on the New England Highway. It is recognised as the premier commercial, industrial, agricultural and cultural inland city of New South Wales and indeed it is acknowledged by many to be the real heart of this great State. It has a population of about 40,000 people. The city water supply is all surface water, the majority of which comes from Chaffey Dam (62,000ML). Water is extracted via an intake on the Peel River about 50km downstream of the Dam. Tamworth also has a supplementary supply from Dungowan Dam (6,200ML). This water is supplied to town through a 60km 500mm dia. pipeline directly to the Calala Water Treatment Plant. In the summer 2006/07 the worst drought in 100 years had reduced Chaffey Dam’s level to 20% and falling, Level 5 water restrictions were introduced and all outdoor use of water was banned and also evaporative cooler use was
severely restricted. Council embarked on a program to investigate any and all alternative water sources should the drought continue. All options were considered, one of these was to refurbish the old drift wells which drew groundwater from the Peel River floodplain in town, and use them to augment the City’s water supply.