Project summary
The Woodburn groundwater scheme has been an integral part of Rous’ drought response strategy for decades.
However, it became inoperable when the construction of the M1 impacted large parts of the bore field. Then in 2022, catastrophic floods severely damaged infrastructure at the water treatment plant site on Woodburn Evans Head Road.
Rous is now redeveloping the scheme to restore and improve its functionality so that it is ready to be brought online if needed during a prolonged drought.
When in operation, this drought supply scheme will provide high-quality drinking water to the lower Richmond catchment area including the communities of Broadwater, Woodburn and Evans Head.
Groundwater sourced for this scheme comes from the Richmond Coastal Sands aquifer. The use of groundwater is strictly regulated by the state government to protect the environment, the community, and to ensure its use is sustainable in the long term.
Project updates
August 2025
A new flood-resilient water treatment building has been completed, and key pipe sections, valves and valve pits have been replaced. The $1.5 million project was administered by the NSW Reconstruction Authority and delivered by NSW Public Works. It forms part of redeveloping the Woodburn groundwater supply scheme to ensure safe, sustainable and affordable water during extended dry periods.
May 2025
Rous is progressing the development of a new bore located on Rous-owned land near its water treatment site on Woodburn Evans Head Road.
Constructing groundwater bores is highly dependent on weather conditions, particularly in parts of Woodburn that are susceptible to becoming boggy. Our contractors require good stretches of dry weather to be able to access potential bore sites, set up drill rigs, and conduct their operations.
Over the next two months people may see Rous and contractor vehicles enter and exit properties; however, we anticipate our activities will have minimal impact on people living nearby. Where we believe our work may impact a neighbouring resident, for example with noise or vehicle movements, we will contact the property owner directly.
April 2025
While we hoped flood recovery works at Rous’ water treatment site at Woodburn Evans Head Road would be completed in April, ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and intermittent wet weather into autumn has delayed the construction of the water treatment and storage building. Flood recovery works are now expected to be completed by July 2025, which will mark the closure of project activity under NSW Government flood recovery grant funding.
August 2024
Flood recovery works, partly funded by the NSW Government, have started. The bulk of this work is being carried out at Rous’ water treatment site on Woodburn Evans Head Road.
This work involves:
- replacing sections of mains pipe
- backfilling historic valve pits and installing new valves above ground for flood resilience
- demolition and removal of a damaged 120,000-litre concrete reservoir
- construction of a climate-resilient water treatment and storage building
We do not anticipate this activity will impact nearby residents.
2022-2024 progress summary
Several important planning and technical activities have been completed to support the project, including: hydrogeological assessments to confirm new proposed bore locations, environmental assessments, decommissioning inoperable bores, hydraulic modelling for connecting pipe routes, state government licences and works approval applications, electrical distribution network designs, bore platform designs that are flood and climate resilient, and a groundwater treatment plant options assessment.
Rous was also successful in attaining flood recovery grant funding from the NSW Government to remove and replace infrastructure damaged in the 2022 floods.
