A call for tenders by Yass Valley Council closed early July and they are currently under evaluation. The council is expected to choose a preferred contractor at its August or September meeting.

The 2.15ML reservoir, to be completed by September/October 2019, will replace the existing steel elevated reservoir near Murrumbateman Cemetery.

The reservoir, which will service 3000 people in the village, will be supplied by rainwater and water from the Yass Dam via the proposed 19km-long, 250mm-diameter pipeline.

The pipeline from Yass to Murrumbateman is a necessary feature of the reservoir and will also be able to transfer water from Murrumbateman to Yass if water is ever supplied to the village from the ACT.

The council has secured 70 percent of the land needed for the pipeline and must secure the remaining 30 percent before construction can begin.

Tenders for construction of the pipeline are due to be called mid-September 2018, giving only a month and a half for council to secure the remaining land.

The council’s acting director of engineering Terry Cooper said it was confident it could secure the necessary land acquisitions through continued discussions and negotiations with landowners.

“Construction of the new reservoir is a vital step in the entire project and with construction to take [about] 12 months, it is imperative that this work commences shortly to ensure it is ready for when the pipeline construction is completed,” he said

Once land is secured and construction begins, the council hopes the pipeline to be completed by June 2020.

The project was originally announced in 2015 when the federal government contributed $6.1 million to the pipeline from its National Stronger Regions Fund.

The project has a total estimated cost of $14m. The NSW Government has given $3.735m from its Restart NSW Fund and the remaining amount will be sourced from council or additional grant funding.

Murrumbateman is currently serviced by treated bore water; however, the council said in a July announcement that “it is occasionally of below average quality, encounters supply issues in the summer months, and does not provide a secure water supply for Murrumbateman”.

The reservoir and pipeline will secure a better water supply and water quality for Murrumbateman’s growing population, now and in the future.

Mayor Rowena Abbey told the Yass Tribune in 2015, “During the drought years between 2000 and 2010,  council was forced to impose severe restrictions both in Yass and in Murrumbateman.

“The raising of the Yass Dam in 2013, which tripled the dam’s capacity, has alleviated water security issues for Yass.

“However, Murrumbateman is still under continued water restrictions and the current bore water supply is also classified as poor quality.”