The pipeline, which was built in the 1960s, was trenched into the bottom of the Manning River, which is no longer a common engineering practice. This left it susceptible to flood debris and riverbank erosion.

The emergency solution that has been in place since the flood, which involves pumping water backwards through the network from Taree’s Kolodong Reservoir, was only ever meant to be temporary and could have a significant impact on water supply to customers in the entire northern part of the network if it fails.

A new pipeline is being installed under the Manning River between Abbotts Road, Bootawa and Abbotts Falls Road, Wingham to restore a permanent water supply to Wingham from the Bootawa Water Treatment. This involves drilling or ‘underboring’ through the rock bed beneath the river and installing the pipeline in a solid foundation so that it is not at risk of being damaged during future floods.

The project will restore a permanent water supply to Wingham and allow for the emergency solution that is currently in place to be discontinued, resolving the risks associated with this solution. Installing the pipeline under the river will also ensure it is not susceptible to being damaged by flood debris or riverbank erosion in the future.