Page 10 - City of Cessnock Water Supply and Sewerage Service Utility

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The Hunter District Water Board ever alert to possible future storage needs to give
an adequate supply of water acquired an area on the highest part of Cessnock.
The site secured was part of Portion No. 14, Parish of Cessnock. This was
resumed and gazetted on 2nd September, 1908. This area adjoins the present
Millfield Street, Cessnock and atops Bridges Hill.

Residents of the new mining village of Bellbird sought the extension of
the Cessnock Water Supply to their area. The Water Board agreed and a
principal six-inch (6 11 ) pipeline was laid along Wollombi Road, Cessnock. This
was completed on 20th December, 1911. McGranes' Estate Street, Reticulation
pipelines were completed in October, 1912.

A table of connections made to the Hunter District Water Board Water
Service as at 30th June, 1910 shows the following:=

Heddon Greta 85 properties connected
Pelaw Main
Stanford Merthyr 117 II II
Kurri
Weston 25 II II
Abermain
Neath 766 II II
Cessnock
Aberdare 349 II II
South Cessnock
131 II II

21 II II

262 II II

119 II II

10 II II

TOTAL 1885 Properties connected

Water ran by gravitation from Buttai Reservoir to the Neath Pumping Station.

All areas along the water mains kept adding their separate street
reticulation pipelines to the total. This demand by 1914 required an increase
in size of the original main pipeline from Buttai to Heddon Greta. However
twelve-inch (12 11 ) cast iron pipe was in short supply. Consequently some 1900
yards of the total distance of some 3600 yards across the swamps was laid with
twleve-inch (12 11 ) wood-stave pipeline. The balance of this particular main was
laid with twelve-inch (12 11 ) cast iron pipe. The eight-inch (8 11 ) pipes were
recovered, cleaned, re-coated and re-used to replace the six-inch (6 11 ) main from
Kurri towards the Neath Pumping Station. The following year an eight-inch (8 11 )
pipe-main was laid from Neath Reservoir direct to Cessnock alongside the
Cessnock to Kurri Road.