Southside residents call on Gympie council to fix water pressure

Southside residents are battling for better water pressure, with one calling the service ‘disappointing’ given the price of their council water bills.

Two hours watering the garden might sound like a relaxing afternoon for some, but for Jan Garrett it has been a source of ongoing frustration.

Mrs Garrett is one of several Southside residents struggling to deal with a lack of water pressure at her home.

She said it was barely more than a trickle or the width of a knitting needle in the early morning and late afternoon; and at midday Tuesday the stream at “full bore” was barely reaching one metre beyond the hose.

“It’s disappointing,” Mrs Garrett said.

“I’ve got a big garden and it takes about two hours to water everything.”

Especially frustrating was the problem was ongoing despite paying an annual water bill of more than $500 each year.

Resident Jan Garrett said the pressure problems have been an ongoing problem around Lindsey and Watson roads for more than 12 months,

She had lodged a complaint with the council about the problem.

“I just want the same type of water service everyone else in town gets,” Mrs Garrett said.

A neighbour of Mrs Garrett’s, who declined to be named, said the pressure problems were “intermittent” and continued for several years.

She had called the council out twice in that time, but the pressure drop kept recurring.

“It keeps going good for awhile and then all of a sudden the pressure drops,” she said.

Council communications manager Sharna Rowley said the council was “not aware of this specific issue”.

“In the last 12 months council has received only three requests for service in this area,” Mrs Rowley said.

“Two on Sorensen Road which were internal galvanised pipes which had corroded, and one internal pressure relief valve which needed adjusting on Watson Rd.”

She said the council’s crews would test the pressure in the area over the next couple of days.