Water delivery dumps 1.3 million litres into drought ravaged Storm King Dam

Fourteen trucks carried water from Connolly Dam in Warwick to Storm King Dam, bolstering the dwindling supply in a crucial trial run of the council-driven carting plan.

HELP ON THE WAY: Water carting trial begins trucking water from Connolly Dam in Warwick to Storm King Dam in Stanthorpe. Photo: Southern Downs Regional Council.

MORE than a million litres of water was delivered to Stanthorpe today, washing away water woes that had plagued the small town for months.

Fourteen trucks carried water from Connolly Dam in Warwick to Storm King Dam, bolstering the dwindling supply in a crucial trial run of the council-driven carting plan.

It was a proud moment for Southern Downs Mayor Tracy Dobie, who had advocated "relentlessly" for the necessary funding.

"We were very proactive about speaking to the State Government about the water shortages facing our region and they have been incredibly generous," Cr Dobie said.

"We need to make sure we can continue to provide water to Stanthorpe."

The operation began early Thursday, involving 42 truck movements across the pre-planned route, with trucks carrying up to 37,000 litres per load.

Council staff had been evaluating the logistics, timing and route efficiency, said water infrastructure manager Seren McKenzie.

"If everything goes well, it's possible we could begin partial water carting next week."

Partial carting would involve 20 truck movements each day, with water deposited into Storm King Dam rather than the recently constructed on-site storage tank.

"We'll blend the water until we reach a level at Storm King Dam where we need to leave it alone," Ms McKenzie said.

"We have to leave enough water for the fish and aquatic life to survive."

Full carting is scheduled to begin at the end of December and will provide enough daily water for each Stanthorpe resident to use 80 litres each day.

The provisions require the entire Southern Downs population to begin adhering to stricter water restrictions as soon as partial carting begins.

"We're sharing water across the region, so we're asking all of our residents to work together," Cr Dobie said.

"We need to make sure our water lasts, because if we don't get significant summer rain we'll be moving to bore water by August."

TRUCKLOADS OF WATER: Trucks transported 1.3ML, enough to supply Stanthorpe with an additional day of water. Photo: Southern Downs Regional Council.

Originally published as Water delivery dumps 1.3 million litres into drought ravaged Storm King Dam