Perseverance Dam Pump Station Upgrade

Tonkin is proud to have helped Guidera O’Connor and Toowoomba Regional Council upgrade the Perseverance Dam Pump Station.

In January 2020, Tonkin was engaged to provide integrated geotechnical, civil, stormwater, structural, hydraulic and surge analysis services to Guidera O’Connor, the contractor tasked with producing a fully functioning raw water pumping system.

The dam’s existing pump station is located inside an old tower structure, within the dam itself, below water level. With confined spaces that were difficult to access and aging infrastructure needing replacement, Toowoomba Regional Council commissioned a new pump station for Perseverance Dam. 

Tonkin was engaged based on our proven ability to work collaboratively with Guidera O’Connor to deliver excellent outcomes for our clients. Most recently, we worked together to successfully deliver the $3 million Penneshaw Desalination Plant on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

Construction of the new pump station started in 2020 on land adjacent to the old tower.

This project presented a range of geotechnical and construction challenges, including: 

During detailed design, we worked closely and collaboratively with Guidera O’Connor to develop a range of constructible, practical options with a focus on flexibility for the contractor. 

Tonkin’s Brisbane-based team has led project management, client interface and civil/stormwater works with structural design support from Tonkin’s Sydney and Maroochydore offices, and civil, hydraulic and surge analysis support from Tonkin’s Adelaide Team. Our team also included local Geotechnical subconsultant, CMW Geosciences.

Consistent communication internally between teams and with our client has led to seamless delivery and an effective collaboration.

Tonkin continued to provide construction phase services through to the completion in mid 2021. Now functioning, the new pump station enables approximately 550 litres of raw water per second to be delivered to nearby Pechey Road Reservoir, and ultimately to tens of thousands of homes and businesses in the Toowoomba region.