Transcript Document

Western Irrigation Futures
Customer Information sessions
May 2010
Bacchus Marsh Irrigation District
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
2
Recap…
WIF Atlas
Customer
Consultation
Technical Workshops
Bulk Water
Environment Infrastructure
On farm
Draft Options Paper
Detailed Technical Work
Final Options Paper
Government / Agency consultation
Today’s
3
discussion
Customer engagement and consultation
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
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–
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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
–
–
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Increasing bore numbers (allocation)
Accessing deeper aquifer
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
Reinstate Central Highlands
Scheme
Supply to Upper Werribee
Supply direct to Bacchus Marsh
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Capital
Cost
Key issue
$ per ML
$4.5 m High water loss
$2,150
$15.2 m High water loss
$2,200
$65 m High capital cost
$3,000
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
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–
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.
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Cost to transfer is $745 per ML for 2009/10.
–
Limited flow rate and timing of delivery
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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Total upgrade cost
estimated $12.9m
(assumes main
channel mothballed)
If option to include
lining then section 5 &
3 are not needed.
Section 6 – Balancing
Storage Transfer Pipe
Cost - $1.5M - Plus
balancing storage cost
approx $6.2m
Section 7 - Channel lining
from siphon to spur 12 cost
approx $2.8m
Section 5 –
Connecting pipe spur
3/12
Cost - $1.26m
Section 4 – Pipe
section of spur 12
Cost - $1.4m
Section 3 – Upgrade
connection 2/2 to 5
Cost - $150k
Infrastructure Options
Section 1 – Werribee
Vale Road Pipeline
Cost - $2.4m
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Section 2 – Abandon
10/5 Channel
Infrastructure options ….
• Reconfiguration option 1 – cost $12.9m
–
–
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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
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–
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–
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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%
2. Key Findings:
On-farm issues
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On-farm issues addressed…
• Commercial considerations
–
–
–
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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 reallocated
• 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
Delivered Volumes (2009/10)
Target Volume (25% equivilent
allocation)
Emergency water carried over
from 2008/09 (Thomson and
Merrimu unallocated)*
River Water - 2009/10
2009/10 Thomson Water (inc
second connection)
Total Estimated
Actual
Minimum Actual Usage
Target
2009/10 to 18
ML
ML
Apr
–
*Remaining river water based on 14% allocation
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Remaini
ng
2009/10
1085
556
180
530
616
295
302
235
314
350
1086
425
1571
190
787
235
784
BMID estimated water balance – 2010/11
Source
Current Emergency supply
Estimated usage remainder
2009/10
Estimated Starting allocation - 6%
Minimum inflows (4%)
Minimum available volume
25
ML
470
Comments
Current volume available
100
264
180
814
Based on last year pus about 15%
Based on current usage and no further inflows
Based on historical minimum inflows
Similar to usage in 2009/10
Effective charges including usage from Metro
system…
$2,000
100
$1,800
90
$1,600
80
$1,400
70
$1,200
60
$1,000
50
$800
40
$600
$400
30
20
$200
10
$-
0
Status Quo
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Next season
ML
Average charges - 150ML Entitlement
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)
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