$10m project to safeguard WA water supplies

Construction is set to begin on a 7.4 km pipeline linking Sovereign Hill to Guilderton in the Shire of Gingin as part of a joint federal and state government initiative designed to safeguard local drinking water supplies from the effects of climate change.

Delivered by Water Corporation, the $10 million project will supplement Guilderton’s drinking water with a more sustainable groundwater source near Sovereign Hill.

By reducing reliance on shallow coastal aquifers that are more saline and increasingly vulnerable to declining rainfall, the new pipeline will strengthen water security and improve the aesthetic quality of the town’s supply.

“By connecting Guilderton to more sustainable groundwater reserves further inland, this project will bolster supply reliability and may otherwise impact the community’s ability grow and prosper,” said Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt.

Jointly funded through the National Water Grid Fund, the project also includes upgrades to treatment and control systems at both ends of the pipeline to further enhance reliability and system performance.

“This project is a major step forward in strengthening the quality and reliability of drinking water for the Guilderton community,” said Western Australian Water Minister Don Punch. “By drawing on deeper inland groundwater through the new pipeline, Water Corporation will be able to run the scheme with far greater flexibility, helping ensure the town has a secure, year‑round supply.”

Construction is expected to be completed in late 2026.

Image caption: Where Moore River meets Atlantic Ocean at Guilderton village and holiday park, Western Australia. Credit: iStock.com/Anastasia Yakovleva