The study, commissioned by the Centroc Board and undertaken by consultants MWH, was unveiled at a meeting attended by the mayors and general managers of the 17 Centroc council areas last week.

Wellington Council general manager Allan Dive, who travelled to Orange for the meeting, said the projects identified included piping water to various locations in a bid to provide a Regional Water Grid.

This would enable water transfers between urban centres that is reasonably cost effective and provides local options for individual councils.

Undertaking construction at Lake Rowlands near Blayney had been identified as the major priority, with water access to Cumnock and Yeoval also targeted, he said.

The plan at Lake Rowlands centres around the construction of a $150 million dam wall about three kilometres downstream from the existing one, with water to then be pumped through a pipeline spanning more than 50 kilometres to Orange and through the Central Tablelands Water network to other locations.

“Lake Rowlands is in a location where it is quite a bit higher than other dams so there will be minimal cost for getting it to urban centres,” Mr Dive said.

“They will be able to use gravity feed instead of pumps which will save a considerable amount in electricity costs.”

Two options have also been identified in the plan to improve water supply at Cumnock and Yeoval.

“Both villages have got town water but both are not potable supplies meaning they are not fit for drinking,” Mr Dive said.

“One option is to have the water come through from Manildra which would be ultimately supplied from Lake Rowlands or to supply the towns through a pipe from Wellington.”

Also identified in the study is construction of a pipeline to transport water from Burrendong Dam to Wellington, however, Mr Dive admitted that at an estimated cost of $16 million dollars this would not happen in the near future.