Page 11 - City of Cessnock Water Supply and Sewerage Service Utility

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Whitburn Colliery at Greta was owned by the Newcastle Coal Mining Co.
It employed some 350 men and boys and pre World War 1 was producing some 750 tons
of coal a day. By about 1915, the management had introduced an electricity
generator, that not only supplied electric power for the colliery's requirrnents
but also provided electric lights and energy for the residents in the townships
of both Greta and Branxton. Stearn power to drive the electricity generator came
as part of the steam generation from Whitburn Colliery's eight boilers. Water
for these boilers was taken from a small darn adjoining Whitburn Colliery. The
colliery's own electric current was used to pump water from the Hunter River and
piped for about one mile to the small Whitburn Colliery dam. 'Water Street',
Greta still bears evidence of the route taken by this pipeline. This colliery
darn was also used to supplement the local household tanks and home wells for
Greta residents' drinking water and domestic purposes. Particularly in drought
and dry periods. Special drains and gutters were made by local residents to
divert surface water around the dam to prevent and avoid possible pollution.

The water from Walcha Lagoon to Cessnock in the early days of the
Hunter District Water Board supply was very 'hard water'. To get a lather,
washing soda had to be added. Most coalfields homes therefore had a circular
corrugated galvanised-iron tank to catch rain-water to be used to launder
clothing by the women of those days as an alternative to the 'hard' town supply.
Such tanks were very evident until the late 1920's. Perhaps in this modern day
and age, as a drought assistance programe, it should be compulsory for all new
homes contructed, to either have a large concrete tank to catch rainwater to
subsidise the householder's use; or alternatively in lieu of a concrete tank,
all patios with a floating top should be lined to house a rainwater catchment.

Despite an increase in the capacity of Walcha Pumping Station, both in
holding quantity and pumping volume during 1916, the continued growth and
development of Newcastle, its suburbs, the coalfields and the Lake Macquarie
regions, a new water source was sought to replace that at Walcha of the Hunter
River. Several independent research investigating were made. Finally in late
1916, the State Government approved the construction of the Chichester Dam just
below the junction of the Chichester and Wangat Rivers. When the darn with the
Buttai to Newcastle main water pipeline and water from Chichester flowed into the
Newcastle service in November 1923.

The next watermain expansion in the Cessnock district was to Kearsley and
this was completed on 18th February, 1919. To help with this additional demand
a duplicate twelve-inch (12") rising main from Neath Re-Pumping Station to Neath
Reservoir was completed in November, 1922.