Muswellbrook Race Club is one of the premier regional race tracks in NSW located in the upper Hunter Valley.
The existing pop up sprinkler irrigation system was under performing with race course maintenance staff forced to irrigate both the course proper and B grass training track using 100mm hand shift aluminium spray lines to maintain any sort of acceptable surface.
HydroPlan carried out a site audit and review of the existing system with results being that the current system was incapable of meeting acceptable standard of water distribution uniformity.
Water was being supplied to the existing system from the Hunter River which is located nearly 1km from the track. Pumping capacity and losses within the piping network resulted in extremely high pressure losses and therefore leaving inadequate pressure at the sprinklers. The course proper in the true running rail position is 25m wide yet the pop up sprinklers installed had a maximum radius of 18m.
HydroPlan were then engaged to prepare a master plan for a replacement irrigation system. Due to budget requirements the planned construction was separated into four (4) stages:
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Pumping station
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Course proper
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B grass training track
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Sand and cinders training tracks.
Onsite storage was constructed by clay lining and sealing an onsite storage pond. The existing river pump station was retained and converted to a water transfer system. A new multiple pump unit variable frequency drive irrigation pumping station was installed at the storage pond.
New PE main line piping was installed with the course proper irrigated with valve in head sprinklers connected directly to the inside and outside running rail ring mains.
A decoder control system operates the sprinklers and is linked to a central management PC control package.
Future works will be the upgrade of the B grass, sand and cinders training tracks.
