Clean water for village comes with nearly $300k price tag

By Tim Howard

The boil water alert for Glenreagh is over, but it has come at a cost of almost $300,000 to lease a water fltration plant for the village.

On October 11

Clarence Valley Council informed the residents of the village between Grafton and Coffs Harbour, they should boil all tap water before drinking.

The problem arose council began using water from Shannon Creek Dam when fows in the Nymboida River became too low, it introduced fne particles into the water supply which the existing fltration system could not handle.

The council immediately took steps to hire a fltration plant, but it was not installed until late November and did not come into operation until shortly before Christmas.

The prolonged alert was a frustration to residents and businesses in the village, who were initially told the alert might last two to three weeks.

On December 21 the council informed villagers the water supply was safe to drink straight from the tap.

“Our crews have fushed the water mains in the area to reintroduce safe, clean water to the local water supply system,” a release said.

Residents were asked to fush affected water from their pipes with running water for two to three minutes, including the tap most distant from their water meter.

At the December council meeting the cost to get clean tap water to resident was revealed in a budget variation report.

“This report advises that a budget variation of $145,454.54 (excl GST) is required to fund the remaining 23/24 FY hire of the water fltration equipment at the village of Glenreagh,” it read.

“The hired equipment is required to provide a drinking water supply that meets council’s Drinking Water Management System until the permanent water treatment plant can be constructed.

An annual operations and maintenance budget variation of $109,090.90 (excl GST) is also required for the remainder of the 23/24 FY.

The council voted to note a budget variation of $280,000 (including GST), to be funded from the Water Fund Reserve for the hire, operation, and maintenance of water fltration equipment for Glenreagh.

The report said the hired fltration system included chemical dosing to allow coagulation of the fne particles, a clarifer tank, glass fltration media and pressure booster pumps and was automated and remotely monitored.

“The hired equipment provides a greater level of water treatment including the removal of solids known as flter backwash.

The report noted Glenreagh was an unsewered village, requiring the backwash material to be hauled to the Clarenza sewerage treatment plant.

The increased level of water treatment would also require additional staff time to undertake the associated operations and maintenance tasks.