DATE

LOCATION

INFORMATION

2009 - December 14

Kingaroy, QLD

Kingaroy Water Supply Contaminated With E. Coli

The South Burnett Regional Council advised residents this morning that Kingaroy's water supply scheme is contaminated with potentially deadly E. Coli and is unfit for human or animal consumption The SBRC say that water should be boiled before it's ingested, used in cooking or given to pets.

2009 -
December 07

Coomera, QLD

Nausea, diarrhoea reported in Coomera. CASES of nausea and diarrhoea have been reported at Coomera following revelations recycled sewage was pumped into residents' drinking water. The Weekend Bulletin revealed the new $80 million Pimpama Wastewater Treatment Plant had been pumping recycled sewage into the wrong pipes to more than 630 homes since Tuesday. The problem was picked up on Friday after a resident complained about the water quality.

The plant supplies 'Class A-plus recycled water' which can be used for car washing, gardening, flushing toilets and external household cleaning. It is not suitable for drinking, cooking or cleaning, personal washing, clothes washing, swimming pools or spas, or pets and livestock.

Residents around Orlando Drive and Hudson Court appear to be the worst affected, with some reporting a 'foul odour' when they turned on their household taps.

Chief health officer with Queensland Health Dr Jeannette Young said the water contained high levels of chlorine, which meant there would be minimal health risk to residents. "It won't harm you, but it tastes awful," she said.

2009 -
April 02

Wallaville (Near Gin Gin), QLD

Southern Qld community on E. coli alert 

Residents of a small southern Queensland community have been ordered to boil their tap water because of water contamination fears.

The Bundaberg Regional Council has advised 200 residents of Wallaville, near Gin Gin, to boil all water to prevent an outbreak of E. coli.

Council chief executive officer Peter Byrne says it is working around-the-clock to fix the problem at the local water plant. "There was a failure in the chlorine dosing equipment," he said. "We're looking at approximately $40,000 of work that is required to have the plant upgraded to hopefully ensure that that doesn't occur again.

2009 -
December 08

Jerilderie, NSW

Public warned to boil drinking water.

Jerilderie residents are being told to boil their drinking water after the detection of low levels of chlorine. 

Authorities say a lack of chlorine could allow E.coli bacteria to develop. The New South Wales Department of Health says E.coli is generally not harmful but has issued the alert as a precaution. Jerilderie Shire Council general manager Craig Moffitt says it is an unusual situation ...

 2008 -
June 05

Lower Clarence, NSW

Drinking water alert for Lower Clarence

A DRINKING water alert has been issued for the Lower Clarence. Clarence Valley Council (CVC) issued the warning after test results revealed unacceptable levels of Escherichia coli (E coli) in the water supply. Frank Vaarwerk, an operations engineer with CVC, said although council could not be 100 per cent certain, the problem was most likely caused when pump rates were increased to lift chlorine levels in the Maclean reservoir. "We increased the pump rates for about half-a-day in an attempt to increase chlorine residuals in the Lower Clarence," he said. "In doing so, it looks like we might have stirred up some sediment."

...  Mr Vaarwerk said tests done since the initial discovery had revealed the levels of bacteria had reduced, but were still above acceptable levels. He said two consecutive 'clear' test results were required before the water alert could be lifted.

2009 -
September 13

Hamilton, Tarrington and Dunkeld, Vic

Alert over dirty water

MORE than 5000 south-west residents are being urged to boil their water before use because of discolouration problems.

Wannon Water managing director Grant Green yesterday warned residents to boil their water as a "precautionary measure" after problems at the Hamilton treatment plant.

"All water used for drinking, food preparation, ice making or brushing teeth should be brought to a rolling boil and cooled before use," Mr Green said.

"Care should also be taken to avoid swallowing water while undertaking water-related activities (such as bathing or showering).

2010 -
January 15

Ross, TAS

A boil water alert for Ross residents is unlikely to be lifted by the weekend.

The temporary boil water alert was imposed after routine tests detected low levels of E-coli in the town's drinking water pipeline earlier in the week.

All residents are being advised to bring water to the boil before drinking.

The head of Ben Lomond Water, Barry Cash, has described the contamination as "micro biological failure" and the cause is being investigated.

2009 -

December 07

Sorell, TAS

09/12/09 - FURTHER INFORMATION ISSUED:

Authorities have lifted the boil water alert for Sorell in southern Tasmania.

The alert has been in place as a precautionary measure since Sunday, when elevated levels of bacteria were detected in the town's water supply.

Southern Water's executive manager of service delivery Ian Dunbabin says a combined program of disinfecting and flushing the system has brought the supply back to meet the Australian drinking water guidelines. He says investigations into the cause of the problem is continuing but they may never find the exact cause.

A similar boil water alert for a small number of households in Glen Road Drive at Brighton has also been lifted.

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Sorell residents in Tasmania's south east are warned to boil all drinking water until further notice.

The boil water alert for Sorell comes after Rosny and Montague Bay were given the all clear following a weekend boil water alert because of higher than acceptable levels of e coli found in the water supply. The water supply for Rosny and Montague Bay was flushed out and retested by Southern Water, which is in the process of doing the same for Sorell....

"Bacteria, e coli amongst them, are present in all our water, certainly in the raw water that Southern Water sources and treats," says Mr Dunbabin.

"One of the issues with unroofed reservoirs is that the effectiveness of disinfection is reduced by it being in an unroofed reservoir."...

2009 -
December 05

Launceston, TAS

08/12/09 - FURTHER INFORMATION ISSUED:

Launceston's water given the all-clear

BOIL-WATER alerts in Launceston have been lifted.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced it had lifted the boil-water alert yesterday afternoon.

The alert was put in place on Friday night after routine testing recorded a "microbiological failure" at the Hill Street Reservoir.

Residents at West Launceston, Summerhill and Kings Meadows were advised to boil their drinking water until further notice.

Yesterday, Ben Lomond Water chief executive Barry Cash said the level discovered in Friday's test was "the lowest possible level".

... Boil-water alerts for Rosny and Montagu Bay were lifted by Southern Water yesterday, but alerts for Sorell and several other Southern towns and suburbs remain in place.

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Launceston areas on boil water alert

Residents in two areas of Launceston will have to boil their tap water before being able to drink it after Ben Lomond Water Released a boil water alert last night.

This comes a month after many.....

2009 -
July

Swansea, Gretna, Ellendale, Mountain River, Judbury, Franklin (Jackson’s Rd), TAS

Permanent Boil Water Alert.

Residents are reminded that the water supplied by Southern Water in the following areas is still subject to the existing Permanent Boil Water Alert until further notice.

2009 -
November 26

Alice Springs, NT (Docker River)

Outback Aussie town to cull invading camels.

ALICE SPRINGS, Australia — State authorities plan to corral about 6,000 wild camels with helicopters and gun them down after they overran a small town in Australia's Outback in search of water, trampling fences, smashing tanks and contaminating supplies.

The Northern Territory government announced its plan Wednesday for Docker River, a town of 350 residents where thirsty camels have been arriving daily for weeks.

"The community of Docker River is under siege by 6,000 marauding, wild camels," local government minister Rob Knight said in Alice Springs, 310 miles (500 kilometers) northeast of Docker. "This is a very critical situation out there, it's very unusual and it needs urgent action." The camels, which are not native to Australia but were introduced in the 1840s, have smashed water tanks, approached houses to try to take water from air conditioning units, and knocked down fencing at the small airport runway, Knight said. The carcasses of camels killed in stampedes at water storage areas are contaminating the water supply, he added.

2009 -
May 07

Tennant Creek, NT

Water bug outbreak hits Tennant Creek

Residents of the outback town of Tennant Creek are being urged to turn off the taps and buy bottled water.

A water boil alert has been issued for the approximately 3,000 people who live in the Northern Territory town, about 1,000km south Darwin, after E.coli bacteria was detected in the community's water supply. The NT Department of Health and Families (DHF) has urged locals to take precautionary measures.

"It is recommended that water for drinking, food preparation and oral hygiene be obtained from either packaged bottled water or by boiling tap water and allowing it to cool," DHF environmental health officer Karen Beirne said on Thursday. "Work is now under way by Power and Water Corporation to flush the water supply system, monitor the chlorine in the system and ensure maximum disinfection occurs to kill any bacteria present." Ms Beirne said it was expected that the alert for Tennant Creek - the NT's fifth largest town - would be cancelled "very soon". Residents who experience symptoms of diarrhoea should seek advice from the health centre or other health service.

2009 -
March 09

Nyirippi, NT

Water Boil Alert Cancelled for Nyrippi on 14/3/09

Water Boil Alert issued for Nyirippi

A precautionary advice for drinking water (water boil alert) was issued today for the Nyrippi Community following the detection of the E.coli bacteria in the community's water supply.

The Department of Health and Families today confirmed that precautionary measures were being taken to ensure that the water supply was safe to drink again as quickly as possible.

DHF Environmental Health Senior Policy Officer Karen Beirne, said in the meantime as a precautionary measure, it is recommended that water for drinking, food preparation and oral hygiene be obtained from either packaged bottled water or by boiling tap water and allowing to cool prior to use.

"Work is now underway by Power and Water Corporation to flush the water supply system, monitor the chlorine in the system and ensure maximum disinfection occurs to kill any bacteria present." "Testing will continue to ensure that the water is safe to drink and we expect the water boil alert will be cancelled very soon," Ms Beirne said.

Residents who experience diarrhoea symptoms should seek advice from the health centre or other health service.