General News
12 August, 2026
New pipe aims to end main bursts
PART of the 13km pipeline from Laanecoorie has been replaced to improve reliability of drinking water supplied to Dunolly.
PART of the 13km pipeline from Laanecoorie has been replaced to improve reliability of drinking water supplied to Dunolly.
Coliban Water says it has completed renewal of an 1800-metre stretch of the pipeline.
Dunolly is supplied with drinking water from a clear water storage tank that is fed through the pipeline from the Laanecoorie Water Treatment Plant.
The pipeline between Laanecoorie and Dunolly travels through dense bushland near the Waanyarra Nature Conservation Reserve.
In recent years, the pipeline has seen regular bursts due to its age and the terrain of the area.
Coliban’s chief officer Assets and operations Danny McLean said being able to lower the risk of bursts would benefit customers at the end of the pipeline.
“The original pipeline was laid in the 1950s. It is made of concrete and runs overland, which leaves it more prone to issues. The dense scrub also makes it difficult for crews to access and repair bursts,” he said.
“Between 2012 and 2025 - we have spent more than 600 labour hours repairing the pipeline,” Mr McLean said. “Since the start of January, the pipeline has burst nine times – just over once a month.
“When it bursts, we often cart water to the clear water storage tank in Dunolly, to ensure customers still have drinking water.”
Coliban says upgrading this pipeline will give Dunolly customers an improved service and help reduce the number of hours crews spend repairing the water main.
To upgrade the pipe, crews bored through the hilly terrain to install a polyethylene pipe that is more flexible and has a higher resilience to ground movement.
“This sort of pipe is used in New Zealand because the material is more resilient to earthquakes. It also suits areas like this where we know there are old mineshafts that can cause ground movement,” Mr McLean said.
The water main renewal works in Dunolly are part of Coliban’s $100 million water and sewer upgrade program to renew and upgrade the critical pipes and pumps that move water and sewage around towns and suburbs.
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