The project is receiving $21.21 million from the NSW government’s Restart NSW Water Security for Regions program, $5 million from Orange City Council and $2.5 million from Central Tablelands Water.

The 61 kilometre water pipeline will pass through Spring Hill, Millthorpe, Blayney and Carcoar and will consist of steel pipes measuring 300-375mm diameter placed in trenches 1-2 metres below the soil.

The pipeline will allow water to flow both ways.

However, those decisions as to when the pumps are to be switched on, and the valves are opened, are yet to be made, said the Chair of Central Tablelands Water, David Somervaille.

“This is a stand by or emergency pipeline, it’s not going to provide constant water to Orange from the Central Tablelands storage at Lake Rowlands nor is it going to provide water to the Central Tablelands network from Suma Park in Orange,” he said.

“It’s designed to be available in an emergency so that the two water supply systems can be connected and effectively operated as one.”

The determination of what is an emergency though is yet to decided.

“The cooperation that we are showing in the construction of the pipeline is about the engineering,” Mr Somervaille said, “The actual governance on how it will be operated is yet to be decided.”