Kununurra Diversion Dam – Control Tower Switchboard Main Incoming Cable Replacement 

Jandco was tasked with the decommissioning of a lead-wrapped cable that supplied the Kununurra Diversion Dam Control Tower. The project required the design and installation of a replacement cable with minimal downtime of power to the Control Tower. 
Location:
Kununurra, WA
Client:
Water Corporation
Status:
Completed
Kununurra Project1
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Kununurra Project2

Services Provided 

Jandco’s scope included electrical design, manufacture, supply, construction, installation, testing, and commissioning work on water infrastructure assets. This included:

  • Preparation of preliminary design drawings of the switchboard and site installation
  • Installation of new power cable to the Diversion Dam Control Tower
  • Removal of the redundant lead/bitumen wrapped 1960s power cable that was at its end of life
  • Testing and commissioning of the works

Project Challenges 

This project presented several unique challenges we needed to address in our approach:

  • Remote Location – The project site in Kununurra required extensive planning and logistics coordination
  • Wet Season Planning – Works had to be carefully scheduled around the wet season to ensure safe working conditions
  • Road Closure Management – We were required to shut down half the main arterial road into Kununurra for the duration of the works as we installed the cable on the diversion dam bridge within a side culvert built into the bridge
  • Multi-Contractor Coordination – The work required input from multiple contractors including traffic management, design, civil, and logistics companies

Approach & Delivery

We approached the work with an open mind on how to deliver the scope while achieving minimal downtime, given the safety significance of the Diversion Dam Control Tower to the Town of Kununurra during periods of rain.
Jandco used local companies to assist in traffic management and civil works, allowing us to leverage the local knowledge and connections that these companies have in place.

We designed a cable support system both above and below ground that allowed all the work to be completed while the existing system stayed online, except for a brief changeover period to disconnect the existing cable and connect the new one.

The flexibility of the design and implementation allowed the cable changeover time to be shorter than initially anticipated by the client, decreasing the risk of the work and potential impact it could have had on the town of Kununurra. With the old cable replaced, the risk of power failure to the control tower is greatly mitigated.

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