The project is being delivered by Cairns Regional Council with funding from the Australian and Queensland governments. It includes a new Mulgrave River intake, a new water treatment plant and reservoirs at Gordonvale, connections to the existing network and flood-resilience works at the Behana Creek intake.
Council said 30 kilometres of new pipeline has been installed, with final connections and testing under way. The ultraviolet treatment building has been constructed, roofs and external works have progressed on the five- and eight-megalitre reservoirs, and the three-storey administration building has entered its final external construction stage.
Pre-commissioning work now includes installing major mechanical equipment, connecting electricity and completing associated pipework. The treatment plant will then enter a staged commissioning program in which pipelines, pumps, electrical systems, treatment processes and controls are tested before operations begin.
The project is forecast to be completed by mid-2027, subject to weather. Council said more than $144 million had flowed into the local economy through work with 164 local businesses, while more than 1,343 people had been employed during construction.
Source: Cairns Regional Council media release published 1 September 2026. Featured image is an AI-generated editorial illustration created by ChatGPT/OpenAI and is not a photograph of the reported project.
