Western Australia’s largest-ever steel water main pipeline is now being laid in Perth's northern suburbs, marking a significant milestone in the $2.8 billion Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant (ASDP) — the State’s third seawater desalination facility and a cornerstone of its future water security strategy.
Manufactured locally in Kwinana from Pilbara iron ore and Cockburn cement, each 12-metre section of the 1.6-metre-diameter pipeline weighs almost nine tonnes and has an expected lifespan of 120 years. In total, 3,000 sections will form a 33.5-kilometre underground trunk main linking the ASDP to Water Corporation’s Wanneroo Reservoir, delivering up to 50 billion litres of climate-resilient drinking water annually once operational. The pipeline, constructed by the Alkimos Pipeline Alliance—comprising Water Corporation, Georgiou Group, and DM Civil—is expected to be completed in 2027.
Water Minister Don Punch said the achievement represents “another key milestone for one of the most critical infrastructure and engineering projects in WA over the last decade.” He added: “Made locally with WA materials and by WA workers, the pipeline and the wider ASDP project are integral to the State’s future water security.” The project, which will reduce groundwater abstraction by 30 billion litres a year, is expected to create more than 1,500 jobs and inject $1.1 billion into the local economy, including $65 million in contracts awarded to Aboriginal businesses.
Local MLA Lorna Clarke praised the development, stating: “This amazing infrastructure project is vital not just for the families that live here in the suburbs of Alkimos and Eglinton but also for the whole of WA.”
