The tender for the construction of the project was awarded in July, 2022, but the contractor has yet to break ground.

Bathurst Regional Council's director of Engineering Services, Darren Sturgiss, said the project is still in the design phase, with construction expected to begin in early 2023.

If there are no disruptions, he said construction could be completed by the end of 2023.

Wet weather could delay construction, but it's not the only factor that is being monitored.

When it was announced the tender had been awarded, Hynash Constructions manager Tim Ditchfield advised that supply chain issues could also delay works.

"There are some challenges around material supply, and specification and detail to work through, but our expectation is across the 12 months it should be enough to complete the works," he said.

The stormwater harvesting scheme will see a 36 megalitre storage pond built off off Morrisett Street and an eight megalitre storage pond built at the Bathurst Water Treatment Plant to capture stormwater run-off from drains and local catchments.

The water will then be pumped back to the Bathurst water treatment plant for filtration and used in the town water supply.

Having the stormwater harvesting scheme in place will be of great benefit to Bathurst in times of drought, helping to boost the city's water supply when Chifley Dam is running low.

The stormwater harvesting scheme was first pitched as an idea by councillors Warren Aubin and Bobby Bourke in August, 2019.

Since then, Bathurst council has been working to find a suitable location, develop a design and get the relevant approvals to allow the project to proceed.

The NSW Government is supporting the project through the provision of $20 million in funding.

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