Major construction is complete on Mount Morgan’s $88.2 million Water Pipeline project in Central Queensland, with final testing and commissioning now underway.
Taps are expected to be turned on in early 2026 for the Mount Morgan community.
The project will address Mount Morgan’s historic water insecurity, by delivering a long-term sustainable water supply to the town, following three years of Level 6 water restrictions from 2021 to 2024.
The new pipeline will connect Mount Morgan to Rockhampton’s Fitzroy Barrage supply, with completed works including:
- Construction of a 28-kilometre potable water pipeline from the existing pump station at Gracemere to Mount Morgan
- Construction of a new pump station on Old Capricorn Highway, including two new pumps
- Construction of two new 3.65 megalitre reservoirs and a new pump station including two new pumps at Lucas Street Gracemere
- Construction of a 500 kilolitre reservoir and new pump station including two new pumps at Moonmerra, which is approximately halfway along the pipeline route
The new treated water supply for Mount Morgan will originate from the Athelstane Reservoirs in South Rockhampton, feed to the new Lucas Street Reservoirs in Gracemere, before being pumped to the Moonmerra pump station, which acts as the final booster pump station for supply to the Mount Morgan South Reservoir.
The Mount Morgan Water Supply Pipeline is jointly funded between the Federal Government ($30 million), Queensland Government ($40.4 million) and Rockhampton Regional Council ($17.8 million). Federal funding is provided through the National Water Grid Fund.
Water quality testing will follow the commissioning phase, to ensure that drinking water in the new pipeline passes regulation requirements.
Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt, said that this project will deliver a meaningful lifeline for the community of Mount Morgan for generations to come, helping the town to thrive.
“After more than two and a half years relying on water carting and facing costly, unreliable supply, local communities will soon have access to safe, permanent drinking water at the turn of the tap,” Watt said.
“The Federal Government stood up for this project and delivered additional funding to make this happen because we understood the impact it would have on the community, and it’s excellent to see construction done, and important testing begin.”
Queensland Minister for Local Government and Water, Ann Leahy, said that long-term water security is vital to Queenslanders, no matter where they live.
“One of the Queensland Government’s priorities is to ensure affordable and accessible water for all Queenslanders and this pipeline delivers that for those living in Mount Morgan,” Leahy said.
“This new infrastructure will improve water security in Gracemere and Mount Morgan, is now complete, and will soon be ready to supply water to residents in the region.
“This pipeline project is an excellent example of what all levels of government can achieve when working together to deliver infrastructure to support the needs and growth of the local community.”
Rockhampton Regional Council Mayor, Tony Williams, said, “I am really proud to see the project reach this milestone and I’m counting down the days to the moment we turn on the taps.
“In 2021, we made a commitment to Mount Morgan to find them a long-term sustainable solution to their water insecurity and we are so close to achieving that.
“This is about unlocking Mount Morgan’s future and giving them the tools they need to grow and thrive.
“We have so many opportunities for our region to really move forward and the Mount Morgan Pipeline is part of that.”
