Katanning to Kojonup $6.3m pipeline replacement ensures clean water for residents

More than 530 homes and businesses in the Kojonup area have been promised better water services after a multimillion-dollar pipeline upgrade was completed. The $6.3 million project involved replacing 2.2km of pipeline from Pemple Street in Katanning to Katanning-Kojonup Road to give residents receive clean, reliable drinking water. Beginning in May, the project, led by the Water Corporation, aimed at replacing segments of a 40km pipeline from Katanning to Kojonup. Federal Minister for Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek said the project was a “win” for the region. “Water is one of our most precious resources. We’re working to deliver secure and reliable water to communities right across WA,“ Ms Plibersek said. “Projects like this that upgrade old water infrastructure mean we can move water more efficiently to where it’s needed, reduce leakage, and ensure communities and farmland along the pipeline can get a reliable supply. “This is a win for regional WA and its residents in and around Kojonup.” A Water Corp spokesperson said the upgrade was necessary to supply Kojonup with appropriate drinking water. “The pipeline was over 60 years old and it started to burst in places,” the spokesperson said. “It was really just a matter of trying to replace those older bits of the pipeline so that Kojonup was secure with its supply. “There’s no other way that Kojonup can get their drinking water so it was in need of some love.” The project was carried out by Perth-based Aboriginal-owned construction company Benang. “Benang operates out of Perth but has engaged in a variety of regional projects,” the spokesperson said. “They did the entirety of the project and it is great to support an Aboriginal-owned contractor as part of that project.”