POATINA FIRE MAIN RENEWAL

In 2022/2023, PWS upgraded the fire system for Hydro Tasmania at Poatina to enhance reliability and compliance with contemporary fire management standards around their Power Station. The successful upgrades included:

• The installation of 1.6 km of DN200 fire main and 0.7 km of DN200 SCH40 steel pipe within the Power Station
• Installation of valves and fittings for two large break tanks and
• Construction of a Pressure Reducing Valve station (PRV)
• The alignment required navigating two State Road crossings and multiple water crossings.

Following a significant flood event in October 2022, PWS constructed a temporary 0.6 km fire water weir and main to maintain fire water supply to the Power Station while repairs were made to the newly constructed main line and additional valve controls were installed. We also assisted in removing significant volumes of debris from the alignment and re-established access to key Hydro Tasmania assets.

PWS further installed a new 0.4 km raw water supply line to Poatina village, which had been destroyed in the floods. In response to a landslip risk identified during the flood, we installed a 0.2 km above-ground bypass line to direct overflow from the Poatina weir away from the landslip zone. This precautionary measure prevented significant damage to statewide power assets at Poatina Power Station. The works were meticulously planned and executed to avoid machinery vibration and further cutover that could exacerbate the landslip risk.