February 17, 2016
A burst water main in Kingaroy on Wednesday morning caused confusion for pedestrians … and emptied the Fisher Street reservoir.
The cast iron water main burst about 4:00am on the corner of Haly and Kingaroy streets, outside the Commonwealth Bank.
The water flow quickly undermined the paved footpath between the Commonwealth and NAB banks.
South Burnett Regional Council General Manager (Infrastructure) Russell Hood said the 250mm pipe was the main rising main for the Kingaroy CBD.
He said it was close to 70 years old.
“It is one of the few remaining larger mains that we still have to replace,” he said.
The Council has been working through a multi-million dollar program to replace the older water mains servicing Kingaroy.
Mr Hood said the Gordonbrook to Mt Wooroolin Reservoir section had all been replaced “for significant dollars”.
He said the section that failed on Wednesday morning had originally been targeted to be replaced within the next five years.
“But with the number of failures and the inconvenience that results, we will have to look at fast-tracking it,” Mr Hood said.
A section of the same rising main failed in Haly Street, outside the Busy Bee Cafe, last year. Another section failed near McDonald’s in 2013.
Mr Hood said the latest failure had drained the 200 kilolitre Fisher Street reservoir in an hour, however water had now been pumped back in to fill it.
Council shut off the water supply to parts of the Kingaroy CBD while repairs to the main were carried out.
Mr Hood said Council workers would remove all the pavers on the corner, down to the NAB bank.
“We will probably replace them with coloured concrete,” he said.
Mr Hood said work to repair the footpath would probably take a fortnight. Council would liaise with the banks during this time to ensure that access to their businesses was maintained.
The soil will have to be allowed to dry out thoroughly and bedding material replaced before the concrete was laid by a contractor.
“It will be quicker to relay with concrete and it will end up a lot tidier and safer,” he said.
FOOTNOTE: Temporary access to the NAB ATM is via the laneway from the rear carpark (between the two banks); access to the Commonwealth Bank is via the Haly Street entrance.
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If those brick pavers won’t be used again, can the Council donate them to Durong Dingo Sanctuary? Thank you