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10/11/2008 More secure water for Lower Lakes communities

10 November 2008

Lower Lakes communities can look forward to a more secure drinking water supply early in the New Year now that construction is underway on 130 kilometres of pipeline in the region.

South Australian Premier Mike Rann, Minister for the Water Security Karlene Maywald and Federal Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, have visited the pipeline construction site.

"Pipelines will deliver water from Tailem Bend and Strathalbyn to households and properties in the Langhorne Creek, Raukkan, and Narrung and Poltalloch Peninsulas," Senator Wong says.

"This is the first of several projects to be rolled out as part of the South Australian Government's $610 million Murray Futures package, funded under the Australian Government's Water for the Future program."

Crews are laying about 3.5 kilometres of pipeline a day, and the project is already about half complete.

Premier Rann says the $120 million needed for this project was secured at the COAG meeting in July this year as part of the Murray Futures package.

"It's great to see that only a few months later, the construction of the pipeline is progressing at a rapid rate with a likely finish date very early in the new year.

"This is being built in response to critical drought conditions facing the communities of the Lower Lakes and to the deterioration in the condition of the lakes.

"Piping of potable water for domestic and stock purposes will remove all uncertainty for those communities previously reliant on the Lower Lakes for their water supplies and take pressure off the lake system in the future," Premier Rann says.

Minister Maywald says representatives from SA Water and Primary Industries and Resources SA have already consulted with more than 100 individual landholders in the region to discuss connection details. Consultation will continue over the coming month.

"For many people in this community it will be the first time they have received mains water, with most of their supply previously coming from Lower Lakes, rainfall and most recently, trucking water into their properties,' Minister Maywald says.

"The Langhorne Creek and Currency Creek irrigation communities are also working with the Government on a separate Murray Futures project to build a pipeline to supply irrigation water to the region by the 2009 irrigation season."

Anyone in the region who would like to enquire about connecting to SA Water's mains supply is encouraged to contact SA Water on 1300 650 950.