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Ensuring availability of services for remote Northern
Peninsula Area (NPA) communities
The Northern Peninsula Area Region is a local government area in Far North
Queensland, Australia, covering areas on the northwestern coast of Cape York
Peninsula. It was created in March 2008 out of three Aboriginal Shires and two
autonomous Island Councils during a period of statewide local government
reform. The area has a population of 2773 (NPARC Annual Report 2018-2019).
TRILITY operates and maintains the region’s water treatment facilities on
behalf of the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC). The Jardine
River pump station and Bamaga Water Treatment Plant (WTP), including the
networks for each community, are among the assets we manage as part of our
contract with the Council. The Jardine pump station is located approximately
17km from the Bamaga WTP and is the single water supply for the surrounding
communities. The water from the Jardine River pump station is pumped to the
Bamaga WTP, where it is treated to Australian drinking water guidelines and
then distributed to the communities.
The pump station is fed from a single supply line electrical connection that
runs into town along the powerline track. Throughout the year, mainly during
the wet season, several factors will cause an interruption to this power supply;
these factors could be a tree fallen across the power lines, a lightning strike, or
a transformer failure. In addition, the remoteness of the pump station and the
inability to safely access it during the wet season can mean that the power
supply may be off for several days meaning that water cannot be pumped to
the Bamaga WTP. Therefore drinking water supply is at risk.
Tim Overland, Commercial Manager Operations
toverland@trility.com.au
Generator transported to the NPA, awaiting civil works to be
completed before it can be installed and tested
3000L MaxiBund fuel tank
Generator station
NPARC requested TRILITY to initiate a project to investigate a second
alternative power supply if the main power supply was to fail. The proposal
was successful, and the project is now complete. The project included; the
design and installation of a diesel-powered backup generator to supply power
to the Jardine pump station in the event of a power failure and ensure that the
pump station can continue to provide water to the local communities.
The generator system installed will automatically start in the event of a
power failure and can run for up to a week unattended. TRILITY worked in
partnership with NPARC on the project and engaged local contracts to
complete the installation works.
NPARC and the communities it serves can now be assured of their services
being supplied without interruption all year round by installing the
diesel-powered backup generator.
Generator station