Sunraysia Water Efficiency Project

Rehabilitation and lining of 4.8 kilometres of irrigation channels to improve water efficiency and modernise critical infrastructure across the Sunraysia region.

Scope

Keystone Civil was engaged by Lower Murray Water to deliver channel rehabilitation and lining works as part of the Sunraysia Water Efficiency Project (SWEP). The project involved upgrading approximately 4.8 kilometres of ageing irrigation channel infrastructure to reduce water losses, improve operational efficiency and support long-term water security across the region.

The works commenced with selective vegetation removal, fencing adjustments and channel dewatering to allow safe access for cleaning and inspections. Desludging and desilting activities were undertaken to remove accumulated material and expose the existing concrete channel infrastructure. Rectification works included concrete crack repairs, replacement of damaged panels, removal of existing batten bars and liner sections, and installation of silt traps and isolation beams.

Following channel preparation, Keystone installed high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liners using pre-designed layouts tailored to the existing channel geometry. Anchor trenches were excavated to secure the liners, with sections of the works undertaken alongside live channel conditions to maintain the construction program. Liner segments were welded together with minimal joints, and all welds underwent air testing to verify integrity before water was reintroduced.

Final works included backfilling and compacting anchor trenches once water levels were restored, reshaping channel banks to integrate with the surrounding landscape and reinstating fencing to maintain safe access and protection of the upgraded infrastructure.

Project Delivery

Delivery required careful coordination of dewatering, channel rectification and liner installation activities, with specific safety controls implemented for works near water. Keystone utilised proprietary liner-handling equipment to reduce manual handling and streamline installation, achieving nearly double the installation rate of other project packages using conventional methods. This approach contributed to completion ahead of schedule. Environmental impacts were also minimised through selective vegetation removal and strategic equipment selection, with only 25% of the permitted vegetation clearance required to complete the works.