western irrigation futures customer information sessions may 2010 bacchus marsh irrigation district
TRANSCRIPT
Western Irrigation Futures
Customer Information sessions May 2010
Bacchus Marsh Irrigation District
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Today’s discussion…
1. Feedback from customer workshops and surveys
2. Key findings from WIF
– Bulk water options
– Infrastructure options investigated
– On-farm management practices
3. Future water supply
– Longer term
– Next season
4. Next steps
– Customer reference group
3
Recap…
WIF Atlas
Customer Consultation
Technical Workshops
Draft Options Paper
Detailed Technical Work
Bulk Water Environment Infrastructure On farm
Final Options Paper
Customer engagement and consultation
Government / Agency consultation
Today’s
discussion
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1. Customer Feedback
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What you told us you would like…
• Key issues
– Secure source of water
– Sufficient volume to support historic production levels
– Water at affordable price
– Make recycled water available, and
– Fix leaky channels
• Other concerns raised
– Farming viability
– Agricultural practices
– Future of the district
And, we gave a commitment to keep you informed
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2. Key Findings:Bulk Water Supply Options
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Bulk water options investigated
• River water supply• Trading options
– Connection to Goldfields super pipe• Supply to Pykes Creek reservoir• Supply direct to Bacchus Marsh• Reinstate Central Highlands Scheme
– North/South pipeline– Macalister Irrigation District
• Metro water– Accessing water from the Melbourne pool
• Government announced access to 3,000ML for BMID
• Recycled water – Supply from WTP – Caroline Springs– Other sources
• Groundwater – Increasing bore numbers (allocation)– Accessing deeper aquifer
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River water supply – climate scenarios…
Lerderderg River Seasonal Inflows (at Sardine Creek)
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Goldfields Superpipe
• 760 mm diameter pipe– Urban supply for Ballarat
– Water from Goulburn system via pipe to Bendigo
• Pipe route located near top of Werribee catchment
• 3 options– Pipe to upper Werribee
– Reinstate Central Highlands scheme
– Pipe to BMID
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Trading options…• Purchase Goulburn Water• Pay transfer cost through via Bendigo and Goldfields Super pipe• Build connecting infrastructure
Option Capital Cost
Key issue $ per ML
Reinstate Central Highlands Scheme
$4.5 m High water loss $2,150
Supply to Upper Werribee $15.2 m High water loss $2,200
Supply direct to Bacchus Marsh $65 m High capital cost $3,000
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Trading options…
• North South Pipeline
– Government committed to maximum 75,000 ML/year cap
– Commitment to Northern Irrigators that this would be maximum amount
– Option to access water from northern Victoria not available
• MID – Thomson Dam
– 11,000 ML Entitlement on key rivers in the MID (trading zone)
– 30% can be transferred across the system
– Water must be purchased and water transferred through district.
– Cost to transfer is $745 per ML for 2009/10.
– Limited flow rate and timing of delivery
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Metro water supply…
• Available to access up to 3,000ML per year
• Delivery via Western Water’s urban water supply system
• Contract details
– Supply by Agreement (Entitlement) with City West Water to SRW
– Delivery agreement with Western Water
• Access and pricing arrangements reviewed every five years
• Price structure set by Essential Services Commission (ESC)
• Same structure for all water authorities
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Other Options…• Recycled Water
– Caroline Springs
• Option no longer available commitments made elsewhere in investment and usage and has high operating cost
– Bacchus Marsh
• Fully contracted by Western Water and
• Fully committed in the future
– Western Treatment Plant
• Not economic – $50m pipe/pump investment plus
• Cost to expand Class A plant
• Groundwater– Merrimu – full allocated, hydro assessment no further water available
– Parwan – full allocated, hydro assessment no further water available
– Other – accessing groundwater elsewhere and pipeline to BMID is capital intensive and high risk
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2. Key Findings:Infrastructure Options
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Infrastructure options ….• Pipelining
– Piping from weir technically difficult due to flat grade
– Large pipes and low velocities
– Uncertainty if some existing pipes can take higher pressure
– Not costed
• Channel lining – Lining of Werribee Vale Road channel unfeasible due to silting
– Liners damaged with silt removal
• Balancing Storage (320 ML)– Cost $6.2m, plus
– 2 kilometre transfer pipe $1.5m
• Reconfiguration…– Suggested at first workshops
– Focus on upgrading parts of the supply system
– Improve operational flexibility and reduce delivery losses
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Infrastructure Options
Section 6 – Balancing Storage Transfer PipeCost - $1.5M - Plus balancing storage cost approx $6.2m
Section 1 – Werribee Vale Road PipelineCost - $2.4m
Section 7 - Channel lining from siphon to spur 12 cost approx $2.8m
Section 3 – Upgrade connection 2/2 to 5Cost - $150k
Section 4 – Pipe section of spur 12Cost - $1.4m
Section 2 – Abandon 10/5 Channel
Total upgrade cost estimated $12.9m (assumes main channel mothballed)If option to include lining then section 5 & 3 are not needed.
Section 5 – Connecting pipe spur 3/12Cost - $1.26m
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Infrastructure options ….
• Reconfiguration option 1 – cost $12.9m– Interconnection of existing pipelines
– Pipelining supply to Werribee Vale Road customers
– Mothballing main channel
– Balancing storage and transfer pipe
– Pipe section of spur 12
– Expected efficiency 85% – 90%
• Reconfiguration option 2 – $14.3m
– Pipelining supply to Werribee Vale Road customers
– Balancing storage and transfer pipe
– Pipe section of spur 12
– Channel lining from siphon to spur 12 crossing
– Expected efficiency 85% – 90%
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2. Key Findings:On-farm issues
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On-farm issues addressed…
• Commercial considerations– Cost of production – Choice, mix and rotation of crop types– Scale of operation and constraints– Land values, planning regulations and impacts of development on farming
• Water resource availability– Security of water supply to grow crops – Scope to reduce water use by utilising other irrigation methods
• Agronomy and water quality– Identification and costing of best practice requirements for irrigation, soil salinity
and nutrient management
• Environmental implications– Understanding of potential impacts on environmental assets
• Social factors– Social, cultural, adoption of technology, management practices and business
decisions
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3. Future Water Supply
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Future supply options…
• Government announced access to 3,000ML of metro water
• Access limited to 10ML/d flow rate with possible reduction during peak demand days
• Addition of balancing storage would provide ability to increase up to 20 ML/d during summer on limited days
• Supply may include a mix of river water (when available), and metro water to maximise supply and flow rate and minimise losses
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Water availability – 2011/12…
• Water outlook 1 July 2010– River water allocation likely to commence at 6%
• Based on zero inflows and no deliveries
– Emergency water supply not used by 30 June 2010 to be re-allocated
• Supplementary options– Access a volume of the metro water for next season
• Price is $1,357 per ML
– Potential trading Options
• Macalister trading
• Trading with Werribee (if water balance OK)
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BMID water balance – 2009/10
*Remaining river water based on 14% allocation
Delivered Volumes (2009/10)Minimum Target ML
Actual 2009/10 ML
Actual Usage to 18 Apr
Remaining 2009/10
Target Volume (25% equivilent allocation) 1085Emergency water carried over from 2008/09 (Thomson and Merrimu unallocated)* 556 530 295 235River Water - 2009/10 180 616 302 3142009/10 Thomson Water (inc second connection) 350 425 190 235Total Estimated 1086 1571 787 784
–
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BMID estimated water balance – 2010/11
Source ML CommentsCurrent Emergency supply 470 Current volume availableEstimated usage remainder 2009/10 100 Based on last year pus about 15%Estimated Starting allocation - 6% 264 Based on current usage and no further inflowsMinimum inflows (4%) 180 Based on historical minimum inflowsMinimum available volume 814 Similar to usage in 2009/10
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Effective charges including usage from Metro system…
Average charges - 150ML Entitlement
$-
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
Status Quo Next season
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
ML
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4. Next steps
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Consultation process…
• Establish Customer Reference Groups – Separate groups for WID and BMID
• Seek nominations
– 1 WBMCCC for each group
– 6 customer representatives for each group
– Stakeholder representatives
• Appoint independent chair
• Terms of reference to include
– Bulk water supply options
– Pricing matters
– Infrastructure issues (e.g. channels and storages)
– Environmental matters
– Contract matters (metro water supply)