The Golegumma Pipeline Replacement Project is now complete, with more than three kilometres of the 80-year-old pipeline successfully replaced as part of a long-term end-of-life renewal program.
Assembled in 1942, the original pipeline used cement-lined cast-iron pipe to transport raw water from the Boyne River to Gladstone.
In the late 20th century, it was repurposed to carry treated water from Toolooa Junction to Golegumma Reservoir to supply GAWB customers near Awoonga Dam.
This latest three-kilometre pipeline replacement was a continuation of works which started in 2017 when a 1.2km section of the ageing pipeline was replaced between the Bruce Highway to the current Wurdong Heights site.
In 2025, the GAWB team first began scrub and vegetation clearing and excavation works to create a new access track along the existing pipeline easement.
The team then drilled underneath the North Coast rail line to create a trenchless pipe crossing for the new section of pipeline. These works included pipe jacking and the construction of a steel encasement which protects the new section of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) DN300 pipe.
As a bulk water supplier for the region, GAWB is always acting to maintain and strengthen our almost 230km network of pipelines. With ageing infrastructure comes additional complexity, but we are committed to delivering these projects so we can maintain our core business, which is to provide our customers with safe and reliable water supply.
Watch the construction site in time-lapse to find out how the work was done.
Learn more about our projects.