Port Douglas and Wonga residents see water supply return

A break in bad weather has returned potable water to taps in Port Douglas, but an end to the council’s water supply issues is not yet clear.

Water supply to Port Douglas residents is expected to return by Tuesday afternoon. Picture: Kerri Bos.

A break in bad weather has returned potable water to taps in Port Douglas, but an end to the council’s water supply issues is not yet clear.

Dry overnight weather meant work to fix the Port Douglas and Wonga region water supply network pushed on, but the timeframe for when water will be fully returned to residents remains unclear.

Douglas Shire Council said water had returned to Wonga early on Tuesday morning and was slowly returning to Port Douglas by Tuesday afternoon, but chlorine levels and turbidity could slow down the return of supply to the tourist town and surrounding areas.

“At this stage, because the weather has cleared we have been able to pump water across to the Port Douglas reservoir,” Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said.

“We should have water flowing through to most of the properties by [Tuesday] afternoon.”

Mr Kerr said the threat of more rain meant residents needed to follow level 4 water restrictions carefully in order to keep the treatment plant running smoothly.

Portaloos have been set up within Port Douglas and amenities at Market Park have been made fully functional for residents in need.

Council have also directly supplied water to the Ozcare and Port Haven aged care facilities.

Originally published as Port Douglas and Wonga residents see water supply return