Virginia pipeline scheme extension

Angle Vale, South Australia

Total funding: $6.585 million with a contribution of $2.035 million from the Australian Government, and $4.185 million from the South Australian Government.

About the project

The Virginia and Angle Vale regions support one of South Australias most valuable horticultural areas. Pressures on local underground water supplies were eased in 1999 with the development of Australias, and still largest reclaimed water scheme, the Virginia Pipeline. More than 100km of pipes bring Class A treated wastewater from the Bolivar wastewater treatment plant to the region and provide an alternative source of water to local irrigators.

The pipeline extension project will meet future demand with an additional 18km of pipelines laid, allowing up to another 3000 megalitres of treated water to be supplied to the region every year.

Project benefits

The Virginia Pipeline Scheme Extension will:

further ease pressures on underground water supplies by offering an alternative water source to producers and irrigators
reduce the discharge of nutrients into the marine environment by reducing ocean outfall from the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant by a further 6 per cent.
help secure the long-term economic viability of the region, and
continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of reusing treated water on a large scale for commercial horticultural production.