A geotechnical team spent some time at the existing Cemetery Road reservoir location and the edge of the Gloucester River on Thursday (August 28) digging for samples.

It's part of the first stage in the detailed design phase of a project that will see the construction of two new reservoirs at the Cemetery Road site, along with around eight kilometres of pipework that will hook into the existing water treatment plant on the opposite side of town.

MidCoast Council has awarded the design contract to consultant, AECOM Australia after tenders were sought in July.

"Through September, AECOM will conduct site investigations, geotechnical studies, surveys and prepare preliminary electrical, civil, mechanical, hydraulic and process drawings and designs for the project," council's director of infrastructure and engineering and services, Rob Scott said.

According to Mr Scott, the new seven million litre or seven megalitre (7ML) reservoir will substantially increase Gloucester's water storage capacity, while the 0.5ML elevated reservoir will provide gravity-fed, consistent water pressure for residents who experience inadequate pressure during power outages.

Council's decision to construct the new water storage units on an existing site means the project can use existing infrastructure and council land, essentially lowering the overall cost and timeline of the project.

While the pipes running out of the existing reservoir can be utilised, the flow in from the water treatment plant is a different story. Due to the age and design of the existing pipelines, it was determined that a new line would be needed to ensure reliability in the water transfer process.

As part of the project, the pipeline needs to run from Showground Road to Cemetery Road. It will be mostly trenched except for when it crosses a road or the Gloucester River. These areas will require the pipeline to be bored underneath.

Part of the exploration work completed last week involved testing the type of rock to determine how far down and what angle is needed to bore a tunnel through the bedrock underneath the Gloucester River.

It's the first step in addressing Gloucester's water security in an era when changing climate conditions may make it more difficult to rely on the constant flow of the Barrington River, as was experienced over the Christmas period. If these new reservoirs had been in place during that period, it would have made the carting in of water to Gloucester easier, according to Mr Scott.

"Instead of running the truck 24 hours a day to keep the system topped up, we would have flexibility to use more of the storage volume especially on Sundays and public holidays," he said.

To tackle the overall water security issue, plans are underway for the construction of an off-creek dam able to hold around 600ML.

"Gloucester has been identified as a priority in the Safe and Secure Water Program and council will be seeking the support of the State member (Michael Johnsen) for funding."

For the current reservoirs project, council has completed a Review of Environmental Factors with recommended specific conditions for works to be included in the detailed design. Construction is expected to start early in 2021. For more information, visit www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/gloucesterwater