Page 23 - City of Cessnock Water Supply and Sewerage Service Utility

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"Depression Days" and the flood of 1930 encouraged Cessnock Council in
the straightening of Lavender Creek from behind the Cessnock Hotel to Anzac
Avenue, Cessnock. This not only provided essential work in those difficult
times, but did much to eliminate local Cessnock flooding. A project for which
the Cessnock Municipal Council of that time can be justly proud.

The Cessnock Stormwater Channel System was transferred to the H.D.W.B.
control by Government Gazette on 30th July, 1954. This sytem was generally
open section but some lengths particularly under roadway bridges are box
section.

The total length of this system is 10.612 kilometers, ( 6.59 Miles)
as follows:-

Black Creek 2.479 kilometers
Aberdare Creek
Kearsley Creek 1. 487 II
Bellbird Creek
Lavender Creek 2~. 183 II

2.665 II

1. 798 II

The small booster pump installed on 24th January, 1934 at the top of Neath
Hill adjacent to Maitland Road to support the flow to Aberdare was superseded in
1958. The pump and motor were withdrawn and stored at Edgeworth. This pump was
replaced by a pump from Tomago, its No. 5 primary. The replacement was a
Thompson single stage "type C.H." operating at 1450 revolutions per minute and
producing 700 gallans per minute in a one hundred and twenty-seven (127) feet lift.
It is dr~ven by an Australian General Electric motor (415 volts, 3 phase, 50 cycles).
This pump when originally bought for Tomago on 28th October, 1940 had a cost of
£1028.0.0 ($2056.00).

Cleaning of siltation in the Black Creek Stormwater Drain at Cessnock
presented a difficult problem. In early 1962 a ramp was constructed to provide
access for mechanical plant. The Board also moved to have this work done by
contractors rather than its own staff. At this period the length of drains at
Cessnock totalled 6 miles 911 yards~

The Water Board always provided excellent supervision and maintenance
over its pumping stations and sewerage systems. On the 11th October, · 1962 it
purchased and additional smaller sump pump for installation at the Cessnock Sewer
Pumping Station, at the corner of Anzac Avenue and Melton Street, Cessnock.