From Monday the potable water supply for the Nambucca Valley will switch from the borefield adjoining the Nambucca River at Bowraville to the water stored in Council's 5,000 ML off river storage, the Bowra Dam.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The drought conditions mean that the Council has to stop pumping from the river as it has fallen below the 95th percentile flow, meaning the flow exceeded 95 per cent of the time.
The 95th percentile flow is the trigger for Council to switch over to use its off river storage.
"This will be the first time the council has introduced the dam water into its reservoir system and reticulation network," Mayor Rhonda Hoban said.
"As the Bowra Dam is filled with the same borefield water that the community is used to drinking, the properties of the dam water are not dissimilar.
"The differences between the borefield water and the dam water mainly relate to turbidity and dissolved carbon, with the dam having higher levels of both. As both these properties reduce the effectiveness of chlorine disinfection it is likely that Council staff will need to increase chlorine dosage so as to retain a level of residual chlorine in the reservoirs that will satisfy public health standards for potable water.
"So the community might smell and taste a bit more chlorine in our tap water but in other respects it will be the same. In relation to drinking water the expert advice is that residents should allow the tap water to stand overnight in a container before consumption. This should eliminate most of the chlorine smell and taste."
At current usage levels the Council has approximately two years supply of stored water in the Bowra Dam so there is no immediate concern in relation to the quantity of water the Council has available for its residents and business. If the drought continues the dam can also support rural residents who are reliant on rainwater tanks.
"In spite of the probability of our tap water having a stronger chlorine smell and taste, compared to many communities we are fortunate in having a relatively large water supply which will hopefully see us through the drought with only Level 1 Moderate Water Restrictions," Cr Hoban said.
For enquiries please contact Rhonda Hoban on 0408 661 412