The Duratec team made its way through dense bushland to remediate this significant piece of Canberran water infrastructure.
The O’Connor Reservoir is a 27-megalitre in-ground trapezoidal reservoir located in Bruce Ridge Nature Reserve – a gently sloping, 98-hectare protected bushland area in Canberra. The reservoir has been supplying clean drinking water to the people of North Canberra for approximately 60 years.
Following a condition assessment of the water infrastructure, conducted by Icon Water, two key
issues were identified:
1. The joint sealing material between the concrete floor sections was in very poor condition; if any water were to have seeped through the joints, it may have led to saturation and the subsequent weakening of the embankments which support the structure
2. The roof structure was also in poor condition and displayed corrosion in several areas; if it were not to have been repaired, the structure may have collapsed inwards or even blown off under high-wind loading, or other weakened points may have been damaged
Duratec was engaged by Icon Water to rectify these issues. The project consisted of two phases:
Phase 1: The upgrade of the aged sealing joints to ensure the reservoir could continue to hold water properly
Phase 2: The replacement of the reservoir roof to keep the drinking water inside clean and safe
Scope of works
- Removal and replacement of roof structure
- Demolition and construction of new ring beam
- Concrete and crack repairs
- Polyurea application
- Joint sealing and epoxy application
Duratec worked closely with the client to set up tree protection zones to preserve the reservoir’s surrounds and ensure environmental impacts were minimised.
The project began in March 2022 and was completed in February 2023. Its success is testament to Duratec’s expertise in the remediation of water infrastructure.
