The new Gascoyne Irrigation Pipeline Project (GIPP) officially commenced construction on the 16 May 2011. This multi-million dollar project will completely replace the ageing AC pipe which has been affected by the recent floods and tree root invasion necessitating costly and frequent repairs. The new pipeline will be a full Polyethylene pipe system produced by Iplex. Polyethylene (PE) pipes have been around since the mid 1950's and are one of the most widely used and versatile of all plastic pipe systems.
The PE pipe is joined using thermal butt-welding equipment which voids the possible impregnation of the pipes integrity by tree roots resulting in less maintenance overall.
All PE pipe used meet Australian Standards and specifications and the GIPP has been specifically designed to provide all growers with consistent irrigation water even at times of high demand.
Electronic water metering and SCADA equipment is being used which will provide to-the-hour data on individual growers' water usage back to base. Besides being a more efficient way of gathering usage data, this will also allow seperate pricing for off-peak water usage in the future, facilitating more even water distribution. As backup, manual reading of meters will also be possible, and this will be carried out periodically to verify the accuracy of electronic data.
Gascoyne Water Co-Operative have appointed Michael Keane from Greenfields Technical Services as Project Superintendant to ensure that all aspects of the GIPP are carried out to a high standard. The winning contractor for the GIPP is Pipe Fusions Australia, a Perth based company which has extensive experience in steel and plastic pipe installation around Australia for clients across the water, mining, energy and marine industries. Most of their sub-contractors are locally based.
For information on Greenfields Technical Services, Pipe Fusions Australia or Iplex Pipelines go to:
Greenfield Technical ServicesPipe Fusions Australia
Iplex Pipelines