May 13, 2016
Kingaroy residents will face 48 hours of water restrictions next week to allow the final stage of the new Gordonbrook Water Treatment Plant to be brought online.
Residents will be asked to restrict water use to the bare essentials from noon on Monday (May 16) to noon on Wednesday (May 18).
The final stage of the project involves “cutting in” and commissioning the new clear water pumps that pump the water from the treatment plant to the rising main that supplies water to Kingaroy.
While this work is being completed, no water will be able to be supplied to the town.
The commissioning process will take up to 24 hours, but the Council needs to restrict the volume of water used in Kingaroy for up to 48 hours to ensure there is an adequate supply in the system.
“While the pumps are being commissioned no water will be able to be pumped to Kingaroy, so the town will only have the water stored in the reservoirs,” a Council spokesperson said.
“Limiting use to essential purposes only will ensure there is enough water to last through this commissioning period.”
Reducing use in the 12 hours before the outage will allow operators to ensure all reservoirs in Kingaroy are full when the work starts, to maximise the time the water treatment plant can be offline.
Once the pumps are commissioned and the plant is fully operational again, restricting water use for another 12 hours will allow the treatment plant to catch up and refill the reservoirs.
“We are putting the restrictions in place for 12 hours before and after the work so the system has time to catch up and to top up the reservoirs in town,” the spokesperson said.
“We also have a contingency plan if there are any unforeseen issues and the outage goes longer.
“Treatment plants in Wondai and Murgon will operate at full capacity over the time and we will be able to truck water to Kingaroy if needed as an absolute last resort to make sure all our bases are covered.
“We really appreciate Kingaroy residents their bit and restricting their water use over this time. The new treatment plant is a great asset for the town and will ensure we have access to good quality potable water.”
