1.1 WATER
What we do
We supply ( on average ) 8,910 megalitres of water per day to 10 communities across the region .
Water is sourced ( via an approved allocation from the Queensland Government ) predominantly from the Great Artesian Basin . The only exception to this is Surat , where water is sourced from the Balonne River ( also within a Queensland Government approved allocation ).
Depending on where the water is sourced from , there are different requirements for how the water is treated and then ultimately supplied to residents . The region ’ s water supply is managed through 5 separate schemes ( Central , Eastern , Injune , Surat and Western ).
Depending on the time of year ( winter / summer ), customer needs and activity in the region , the actual amount will vary from the average .
Council is accountable to the Queensland Government through the water supply regulator ( i . e . the Director-General of the Department of Regional Development , Manufacturing and Water ) .
Each year , we undertake works to :
• Operate and maintain the water infrastructure ;
• Upgrade and construct new infrastructure to cater for growth in our region ’ s population and for new or changing needs of our business and industry ;
• Undertake scheduled renewal works to ensure the infrastructure keeps providing the required level of service .
Why we do it
Water is an essential service . Drinking water is needed for domestic , commercial and industrial use in each of our towns across the region .
River water is also used on gardens in Surat through a reticulated network .
What we must do
Legislation & Guidelines
• Water Supply ( Safety and Reliability ) Act 2008
• Water Supply ( Safety and Reliability ) Regulation 2011
• Public Health Act 2005
• Public Health Regulation 2018
• Australian Drinking Water Guidelines ( current version )
• Drinking Water Quality Management Plan Guideline 2018
• Review and Audit Guideline 2019
• Water Quality and Reporting Guideline
• Planning Guidelines for Water Supply and Sewerage
• Capricorn Municipal Development Guidelines ( CMDG ).
Reporting and Plans
• Customer Service Standards
• Drinking Water Quality Management Plan ( DWQMP )
• Quarterly Usage Reporting
• Annual DWQMP Report
• Annual Key Performance Indicator ( KPI ) Reporting .
Our plans for 2021 / 22
Did you know
The region ’ s water is sourced predominantly from the Great Artesian Basin , but from different aquifers .
Aquifers Age Formation Town
Cretaceous ( 145 million years ago to 66 million years ago )
Mooga Sandstone
Amby , Jackson , Roma , Surat , Wallumbilla , Yuleba
?
Jurassic ( 201.3 million years ago to 145 million years ago )
Gubberamunda Sandstone Hutton Sandstone
Roma , Wallumbilla Injune , Mitchell , Muckadilla
The Surat Weir on the Balonne River is supplied by the Condamine-Balonne catchment .
The catchment above the Surat Weir has an area of 41,480 km 2 and contains approximately 118,000 separate land parcels . The entire catchment contains the city of Toowoomba and other significant centres including Warwick , Dalby and Chinchilla .
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