$200,000 Tamworth Bicentennial Park ponds project almost finished

THE two ponds under repair in Bicentennial Park, Tamworth, are close to being completed.

The ponds were leaking and were being frequently topped up with town water, a water efficiency audit revealed, according to Tamworth Regional Council horticulture projects officer Grant Reeckmann.

The two ponds were emptied out with excess silt and organic material removed, before the bases were reshaped and the ponds’ depths increased, at a cost of $200,000.

A geosynthetic layer was then laid and 300mm of select clay placed on top of it to make it impermeable, and more environmentally sustainable before they were refilled.

“We have sunk a bore to service the ponds and it is expected no potable water will need to be used,” Mr Reeckmann said.

The surrounding paths and garden are still being landscaped with the project expected to finish in about a month’s time.

“There will be considerable water savings by stopping the leaks; the reduced water costs means it will actually pay for itself in about two years,” he said.