Once a beacon for public criticism in Western Australia, it was the world's longest freshwater pipeline when it was officially opened on this day in 1903, and it has more than passed the test of time.
Key points:
- Today marks the 120th anniversary of the official opening at Kalgoorlie of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme
- The pipeline was built between 1898 and 1903 to pump fresh water 566km east from Mundaring Weir to Mount Charlotte Reservoir
- It continues to deliver water to more than 100,000 people living in the state's mining and agriculture regions
The 566-kilometre-long Golden Pipeline has been on the National Heritage List since 2011, enjoying the same protection as the Sydney Opera House and the MCG.
Designed and built under the supervision of WA's first engineer-in-chief, Charles Yelverton (CY) O'Connor, the pipeline today falls under the control of another Irish-born engineer, Water Corporation chief executive Pat Donovan.
As the pipeline today celebrates 120 years of supplying fresh water to the arid WA Goldfields, Mr Donovan — who admits he "feels a special affinity" because of his Irish heritage — is looking to the next 50 years.
While 226km of the original pipeline is still in service today, it will slowly be replaced and the iconic above-ground pipework will slowly head underground using modern technology to monitor for leaks.
Mr Donovan said extensive lengths of the retired sections would be retained for heritage and tourism purposes.
He said about 85 workers were employed to maintain the pipeline and the plan was to spend $60 million over the next four years on the Golden Pipeline.
"We're continuing to invest in the pipeline because it is such a critical piece of infrastructure, which today delivers about 24 gigalitres of water to that region," he said.
"To put that into context, that's 24 Optus Stadiums full of water every year."
The pipeline no longer pumps just rainwater captured at Mundaring Weir but potable water from desalination plants in Perth.
The prospect of a large-scale desalination plant at Esperance to irrigate the agricultural region has been considered a potential alternative water source for the Goldfields, but Mr Donovan said the pipeline would likely remain as technology improved.
"I think all of those are on the table, but I genuinely think that they won't replace the pipeline, I think they complement the pipeline," he said.
"Technology does move on and we're certainly looking at desalinating highly saline groundwater in those regions, but it is something that the mining sector is looking at as well.
"We will continue to evaluate options like that, but I think they will be more complementary than replacing the pipeline."
The 60,000 pipes used in the pipeline's construction were produced from flat steel sheets formed into semicircles and joined using innovative H-shaped locking bars along the length.
Despite its advancing age, Mr Donovan said the pipeline was still meeting demands for fresh water.
"We're continually trying to squeeze as much as we can out of the pipeline, and currently we are keeping pace with demand," he said.
"But that's something we're continually talking to all our current and prospective customers about along the pipeline — to ensure that we can continue to provide the supplies to meet the demand for the longer term."
Designed over eight separate sections to overcome the difficulty of pumping water 390 metres uphill, the pipeline included two main reservoirs, eight pumping stations, holding tanks, and regulating tanks.
The original pumps at the eight pumping stations could deliver 5 million gallons (22.73 million litres) of water per day.
Gold rush sparks pipeline
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder historian Tim Moore said the development of the railway from Perth paved the way for the pipeline.
"You've built a railway by 1896, so you've already got the foundations and you can bring the pipeline along the railway line," he said.
"So that made life much easier."
Mr Moore said water was more valuable than gold during the 1890s gold rush.
"It was an incredibly expensive commodity and, right through the gold rush from 1893 to 1903, you've got an industry here that pumped up groundwater that was hypersaline, and you had to boil it up before you've got something vaguely potable that you could drink," he said.
"So this pipeline scheme was incredibly important for growth… the whole thing was about getting water here to Kalgoorlie … this was the cash cow for the state."
Eastern Goldfields Historical Society curator John Rees described the pipeline as a "marvel at the time".
"It was one of the greatest engineering feats anywhere in the world," he said.
The mining industry had been using condensers before the pipeline.
"The biggest one was called the Mammoth condenser at Coolgardie, which produced 500,000 gallons [1.9 million litres]," he said.
"That's 25–30,000 litres per week, and that's what was required for the railway and the town.
"The whole area of the Eastern Goldfields was dotted with them because they were essential.
"They were essential for small towns because the pipeline didn't reach them until much later."
Mr Moore said the first water arrived via the pipeline on January 16, 1903, but it was not drinkable until about 15 million litres had "flushed out" the pipes.
"The first real change we start seeing here in Kalgoorlie is the market gardens with fresh fruit and vegetables, and people could bath more as well," he said.
"Before 1903, there is a story from Coolgardie about how a selection of gold nuggets of all shapes and sizes was being displayed in a shop window, and there was another shop front on the same street with fresh fruit and vegetables and there were more people interested in that.
"It was worth more than the gold at that stage."