Water Meters Installation Panel

The GMW Connection Project is a $2 billion irrigation modernisation project in Victoria’s Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID). The GMID covers 68,000km2 and is Australia’s most extensive irrigation network, stretching from past Swan Hill in the west to Cobram in the east and encompassing an agricultural hub known as Victoria’s Food Bowl. The project aims to secure water savings of 429 GLpa through modernisation and rationalisation of the water supply system, including on farm irrigation efficiency activities.

Pictured is a typical site of the meter upgrade works that our ACE Water division worked on back in 2015. The old wheel is removed and replaced with remotely operated outlets. The steel ‘coffer’ dam sits in the channel and seals the channel bank, allowing the crew to remove the old wheel and install the new outlet without getting wet.

This particular installation is a 600mm outlet and will deliver up to 20 megalitres of water per day to the farm.  It is computer controlled remotely from Goulburn Murray Water’s office, some 25 km away.  The slip-gate opens and closes automatically, and adjusts the flow rate to whatever the farmer requires.

GMW appointed TransCom Connect as the Main Contractor for the GMW Connections Project.
Ace has been contracted as part of a panel to deliver irrigation meter construction for the GMW Connections Project.
The Meters Program is a key component of the GMW Connections Project and involves the replacement or rationalisation of existing irrigation outlets (predominantly Dethridge wheels) with modernised, electronic meters.

This provides:

• Increased measurement accuracy to meet Australian Metering Standards.
• Increased levels of service to suit the needs of different customer types (flow rates and timing).
• More consistent flow rates to farms.
• The ability to integrate with on-farm systems.

Typically, the works involve removing the old Dethridge wheel and replacing it with an electronic meter and concrete pit.
A temporary steel ‘coffer’ dam is constructed in the channel to prevent water entering the pit site. This allows the construction crew to remove the old wheel and install the new concrete pit without getting wet.
The new meter installation is integrated into Goulburn Murray Water’s radio network and controlled remotely from their operations support centre. The slip-gate opens and closes automatically, and adjusts the flow rate to the requirements of the farmer.