BOLD - Issue 12 July/August18_BOLD_NL - online JulAug18_BOLD_NL_Print_Joomag | Page 13

Water Conservation Where our water comes from Rain falls into our catchment areas flowing into our dams. Water that isn’t collected in the dams, soaks into the ground down to the aquifers to supply the bores. The catchment areas are traditionally drier than within Toowoomba city, so even when we’ve had a good season, the dams might not fill. Catchment areas need at least 100mm in a short time to wet the soil and allow runoff into our dams. To make the water safe for drinking we treat the filtered water with chlorine and it’s ready for use! 3 Dams 23 Bores 30 % Toowoomba Region has a network of 3 dams and 23 bores for storing and providing water. Additional pipeline running from Wivenhoe dam provides long-term water security. Treated water is pumped from our treatment facilities to reservoirs located around the highest points of the region. The reservoirs hold the water until usage is required and is fed via gravity to through pipes into our homes. Bore water makes up 30% of our water demand. Stored water is pumped to the treatment facility where all the organic matter and fine dirt are removed by a process called flocculation, where particles are drawn to the bottom to be removed by a filtering system. Providing you with fresh clean water at the turn of a tap! We all have a part to play in conserving our water. Visit our website for tips on using water responsibly. www.tr.qld.gov.au/water 14 #everydropcounts www.tr.qld.gov.au/bold l bold