The impacted section of pipeline on Karragarra Island was successfully replaced overnight and drinking water has been progressively restored to island residents from 6am today.
The water is safe to drink. Treated water samples will be taken at various points along the network and laboratory tested to ensure there is no concern for public health
There may be some air in residential pipes or some slightly cloudy water when residents first turn on their tap. Residents are advised to let the water run for 2-3 minutes to clear. The tap water will be safe to drink.
As the repaired main is flushed, residents may notice hydrants with flowing water – this is necessary to flush pipelines. Please do not approach the hydrants or attempt to turn them off.
Seqwater Acting CEO Lee Bruce said crews worked overnight, at short notice to complete emergency repairs.
“I would like to thank island residents and in particular Redland City Council’s community champions who helped spread the word and also distributed bottled water, as needed,” Ms Bruce said.
The burst was detected in an old section of pipeline and initially reported to Seqwater at 8.45am yesterday.
The burst was identified to have occurred in a different section of the original pipeline and was unrelated to the other pipe repairs in the area.
Following the burst, Seqwater will work closely with Redland City Council to assess the impacted pipeline and determine the best options to further improve water supply resilience for the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.
Seqwater completed more than 35 improvement projects in 2019 to reduce the risk of supply interruptions to the Karragarra Island area. The repair work included installing additional flowmeters and pressure gauges to provide Seqwater with an early warning of any system issues and provide the ability to isolate different sections of the system in the event of a pipe break.
In total, Seqwater has invested almost $1 million in the water supply improvement works for the bay islands community.
For more information call 1300 737 928 or visit Seqwater.com.au and Redland.qld.gov.au.
