The proposed Adelaide River Off-Stream Water Storage (AROWS) project (also known as the Darwin Region Water Supply project) aims to improve Darwin’s water security by supplying up to 67.5 gigalitres of additional water each year. The project has two components - The Adelaide River Off-Stream Water Storage project, and the Manton Dam Return to Service.
The AROWS component includes construction of a reservoir beside the Adelaide River to capture and store water from the river, and has a development timeframe of seven to 10 years. Major infrastructure components include:
- two dams and two saddle dams within the AROWS basin
- pumping infrastructure and pipelines for extraction from Adelaide River
- a new pipeline from AROWS to Strauss Water Treatment Plant
- a new Pipeline to Lambells Lagoon agricultural precinct, and
- completion of the Strauss Water Treatment Plant Stage Two.
The Manton Dam component of the project would restore the site as a source of drinking water, following its closure in 1972, and would take an estimated three to four years to complete. Major infrastructure components include:
- a new pump station at Manton Dam to pump water to Strauss Water Treatment Plant
- a new pipeline from Manton Dam to Strauss Water Treatment Plant
- a new pipeline from Strauss Water Treatment Plant to Middle Arm, and
- completion of the Strauss Water Treatment Plant Stage One.
Key Dates
| Feb 2022 | Project Announcement |
Funding contributions
| Federal Government | |
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The Federal Government committed $301 million in funding for stage one of the project. |
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Procurement
| Adviser (Tenderer): | Project Concept Design - SMEC |
| Related contracts: |
PROJECT HISTORY
| Feb 2022 | The Federal and Northern Territory Governments released the business case for the Adelaide River Off-Stream Water Storage project, which includes two parts - the AROWS project and the Manton Dam Return to Service project. The combined projects had a benefit cost ratio of 1.0 (at a seven per cent discount rate). The business case identified the Manton Dam component as a short term project with a development timeframe of three to five years. The AROWS project was identified as a long term project with a development timeframe of seven to 10 years. |
| Oct 2022 | The 2022-23 October Federal Budget allocated $301 million to stage one of the project. |
| Nov 2022 | Request for Tender (RFTs) for the project's Lead Environmental Consultant opened closing 17 February. |
| Apr 2023 | The NT Government awarded a contract to GHD to undertake the scientific, stakeholder and regulatory processes required to prepare the project's Environmental Impact Statement. |
| Dec 2023 | SMEC were awarded the Concept Design Contract for the project. |
