Water supply returns to thirsty town after 14 months

After trucking in water from Murgon since August, the Goomeri Water Treatment Plant is back in action.

Goomeri has been forced to truck water in from Murgon since August last year. File Photo.

Goomeri’s Water Treatment Plant is finally back in action after it’s filters clogged a gruelling 14 months ago.

Gympie Deputy Mayor Hilary Smerdon announced the Goomeri Water Treatment Plant was up and running on Wednesday, to the delight of increasingly frustrated residents.

The treatment plant shut down last May after blue-green algae caused the filters to become blocked, forcing the township to rely on bore water.

The water crisis took a turn for the worse in August, when Gympie Regional Council announced the town’s main water bore, as well as two auxiliary bores, were found to be not working.

In response, the council was forced to truck water into Goomeri from Murgon, and surrounding areas, at a cost of up to $1500 a day.

Residents were notified of the issue in a “conserve water alert” leaflet delivered by the council, urging them to minimise water use so “the current storage levels in the reservoirs can continue to supply the Goomeri area if repairs take longer than expected”.

With the reservoir at 60 per cent capacity, residents were restricted to a daily usage of 180 litres per person each day.

Gympie Regional Council flyer on Goomeri water problem. File Photo.

Following last weeks announcement, Goomeri residents took to social media in celebration, after fighting for water security for many months.

Local have been keeping each other up-to-date on the issue via a Goomeri Water Issues Facebook hashtag.

“Thank you to the new council for listening to users. And wow you have acted straight away sorting this out.,” one person commented.

“I washed glassware and noticed how clear they were, no white spots/calcium,” said another.

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