What's this project all about?

The West Derwent No.1 Pipeline is a crucial component of Hobart’s water supply. It is a ‘bulk main’ that transfers drinking water from the new Bryn Estyn water treatment plant in New Norfolk to the twin water reservoirs in the Domain.

When this pipeline was built in the 1960s it was coated in a coal tar epoxy to protect it, but additional protection can be provided by a ‘cathodic protection system’, a common means of preventing corrosion in metal by applying a DC current and connecting it to a submerged anode.

An underwater skid has been installed in the River Derwent and contains impressed current anodes and a new cable buried from the skid to the shoreline. TasWater will extend this cable through the Elwick Bay foreshore near the Glenorchy Art and Sculpture Park in early 2024, to connect the underwater skid to a power supply in Booth Avenue, Glenorchy.

No trees are being removed for this work. TasWater is following all environmental regulations and working in cooperation with relevant land management authorities. There is no risk to wildlife or the public in the system’s installation or operation.

The cathodic protection system is for a portion of the West Derwent No.1 Pipeline that runs between Elwick Road and Berriedale, parallel to the Brooker Highway and the Intercity Cycleway. This is a low-lying area where salt water from the Derwent Estuary could cause corrosion. It will help ensure this important pipeline continues to service Hobart for many years to come.