Council Statement - Yass Water Supply

Council Statement - Yass Water Supply

COUNCIL STATEMENT Tuesday, 19 February 2019

Yass Water Supply What is Council doing to improve the current discolouration & odour?

Council staff are working around the clock to try to find a solution to the current discolouration and odour being experienced by some properties connected to the Yass Water Supply. As we move into the 8th week of increased discolouration and odour Council staff are currently in unprecedented territory and are working closely with experts in the water quality field to try to find a solution as quickly as possible.

Council wants to continue to stress that while the water is not particularly palatable at the present time, it is safe to consume and is tested daily at various locations throughout the network to ensure the water continues to meet the health requirements of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

What has been / is being done:

As residents are reporting discoloured water to Council, staff have been flushing water mains to move discoloured water through the network. Staff are also conducting on-the-spot testing to continue to ensure the water is safe to consume. Daily water testing is occurring at various locations throughout the network to ensure the water continues to meet the health requirements of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, with results reported to NSW Health. Council has recently engaged a National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) facility in Melbourne to conduct weekly tests for the presence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in Council’s water supply. This is in addition to the required testing under the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines to again reassure our community that the water supply is safe to consume. The first set of results are due back to Council by Friday, 1 March and will be made available on Council’s website. NSW Health currently test for the presence of E. coli, which is an indicator of contamination, and to date all test results have come back negative. The Powdered Activated Carbon Dosing Unit was made operational on Thursday, 31 January 2019 to provide an additional step in the water treatment process to try to decrease colour, odour and taste in the treated water. Staff will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of this additional step. Water experts from the Department of Primary Industry (DPI) have been working with staff to look at ways to improve the operation of Yass Water Treatment Plant. DPI have recommended: Increasing the cleaning of the sand filter beds at the Treatment Plant to remove build-up of residual manganese and other materials. Increasing oxygen levels in the Yass Dam through bubble aeration. Council to consider dredging sediment near the inlet cone. (This process is currently being investigated by Staff). Council staff are currently investigating ‘ice pigging’ (descaling) to possibly remove sediment in the water mains in Yass, however this will cause a temporary spike in water discolouration during this process. (Staff are continuing to investigate this option and provide costs to Council). Council has considered a portable carbon filtration system to provide an additional filtration process to already treated water, however at a cost of $2.7M and an annual operational cost of $900,000 this option is not considered financially feasible for a short term solution.

We understand that the current situation is not ideal for our residents or businesses but please know we are investigating all options available to us. Council are unable to put an exact timeframe on when the water supply will return to normal.

The discoloured and unpleasant smelling water seems to be occurring in pockets in the township of Yass and is not a blanket problem for all households. Council continues to stress that residents need to report discoloured and unpleasant smelling water directly to Council by calling the Customer Service team on 6226 1477. This will allow water staff to investigate further and know exactly where the issues are occurring.

Frequently Asked Questions What to do when discoloured water runs from your taps. Run a tap which is located the closest to the water meter located on your property boundary to see if the water is clear. This will identify if the cause of discolouration is contained within your property or if the discoloured water is coming from the water supply network. If the water at the boundary tap is clear, then the discolouration is caused by the internal plumbing in your house. If the problem persists, you may need to contact a plumber. If the water at the boundary tap is discoloured, then the customer should run the tap for a reasonable amount of time (3 to 4 minutes) to see if the discolouration disappears. If the discolouration persists the customer should contact Council’s office during business hours – 6226 1477 / [email protected]. Staff will visit your property to flush the water meter and/or nearby water mains and rectify the water discolouration issue. We recommend that residents check water colour before washing laundry during summer months. Discoloured water can be used safely on gardens and lawns. What causes discoloured water? The frequency and severity of water discolouration can vary due to the water source, treatment technologies, age of infrastructure, seasonal impacts and climate. Therefore, water discolouration can be caused by one or many factors, such as: Changes in the season cause a spike in manganese and iron content in the Yass water supply, due to ‘overturning’ or water 'turning over' as it changes temperature. Persistent hot weather and limited and/or significant rainfall events will impact the colour and odour. Mix of high and low water supply demand in the network disturbing natural sediments in pipes – low demand for water supply in the pipe line can cause discolouration due to the length of time the water is in contact with the build-up of minerals and oppositely, high demand periods (e.g. hot summer, drought, etc.) can cause mineral deposits to be stripped from the lining of the pipe and transported to downstream connections, resulting in discolouration. Aging water main infrastructure - old pipelines can have a build-up of natural minerals, such as iron and manganese, causing discoloured water. Discolouration can occur after a major infrastructure repair or while mater mains are being flushed. Galvanised pipe material in internal plumbing - there are cases where water discolouration is caused by corroded galvanised water pipes on customer's private properties. Aging hot water system can also contribute to discolouration of supplied water.  Is my water safe? Yes. Discoloured water, as regulated under the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, is deemed to be an aesthetic matter rather than a public health compliance matter. The reddish-brown coloured particles (which are oxidised colloidal iron and manganese precipitates) sometimes found in your water are non-hazardous elements. Council management practices include the regular application of chlorine and testing of daily water samples across the network. Discoloured water is not a risk to the public when sufficient chlorine residual is maintained within the network. Council acknowledges that the incidence of water colour/odour can be a nuisance in a water supply and can cause staining of laundry and fixtures. We apologise for this inconvenience. What is the long term solution? In December 2018 Council accepted a grant of $1.2M from the Housing Acceleration Fund under the Restart NSW Program (NSW Government) to prepare a detailed design and final business case to upgrade the Yass Water Treatment Plant. Council commenced the procurement process for this project on Tuesday, 19 February 2019, with an expected completion time by May 2020. The construction phase will commence at the conclusion of the detailed design and final business case. Both State and Federal Labor and the State Coalition parties have made election commitments to provide funding towards the upgrade of the Yass Water Treatment Plant.

Steps in the water treatment process: The below photos show the process undertaken to treat water from the Yass Dam at the Yass Water Treatment Plant.

Previous statements made by Council regarding the current water situation:

  Yass Valley media contact: Gill Elphinston Media & Communications Coordinator 02 6226 9232

19 February 2019

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