Bermi boil water notice lifted: soon to be a thing of the past

28 January 2022

Effective immediately, unboiled tap water its safe use for all purposes in Bermagui, Quaama, Cobargo, Beauty Point, Fairhaven, Wallaga Lake, Wallaga Lake Heights, Wallaga Lake Koori Village and Akolele.

Boil water notices for residents in the Bermagui area will soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new water treatment and filtration plant nearing completion.

With the Brogo-Bermagui boil water notice being lifted today, the new two-step treatment and filtration plant will be the most advanced in the Bega Valley Shire.

Construction of the new plant started in August 2021 and is scheduled to be up and running by the end of the year.

Council’s Water and Sewerage Services Manager, Chris Best said the new facility will offer northern residents a filtered water supply for the first time.

“This much anticipated facility will bring an end to boil water notices for people living in Bermagui, Quaama, Cobargo, Beauty Point, Fairhaven, Wallaga Lake, Wallaga Lake Heights, Wallaga Lake Koori Village and Akolele,” Mr Best said.

“It’s a major step in a plan to introduce a two-step process of removing solids through filtration and flocculation, and chemical disinfection to water supplies throughout the shire.

“The state-of-the-art facility currently being constructed in Brogo will significantly improve the quality of water drawn from a catchment known for its high turbidity levels.

“This is especially great news for people in the shire’s north who have experienced multiple water restrictions or boil water notices following heavy rain.

“Our long-term plan is to introduce filtration as a second treatment step to each of the shire’s main treatment facilities. Our Bemboka filtration plant went online in 2019, and we are currently in the process of engaging a contractor to construct a new water treatment plant servicing Bega, Kalaru and Tathra.

“Combining filtration with disinfection will bring the shire’s water supply in line with Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.”

Jointly funded by Council and the NSW Government’s Safe and Secure Water Program, the new Brogo-Bermagui and Bega-Tathra treatment plants will deliver improved water security during emergencies.

“Importantly, both sites are designed to operate in a post-bushfire scenario, ensuring that supply can keep up with demand when it’s needed most,” Mr Best said.

“We’re achieving this by installing back-up generators at both sites, as well as a 320kW solar array at the Bega plant and a 99.2kW array in Brogo This means that should another disaster strike, the treatment plants will keep running.”

To learn more about Council’s new water treatment plant developments, go to the major projects page on Council’s website.