Swansea Water Project in final testing stages

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Attn: Chief of Staff; News Editor; News Producer Wednesday, 23 March 2011 For immediate release
Media Release
Swansea Water Project in final testing stages
Southern Water is excited to be in the final testing stages of the Swansea Water Project.
Southern Water’s CEO, Mr Mike Paine, said that he was hopeful that in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, the boil water notice would be lifted before Easter this year.
“We are all very excited to be nearing the end of this project. When the boil water notice is lifted, it will be the first time in its history that Swansea has been provided with fully treated water.”
“The completed water treatment plant, at the south-eastern edge of the new dam, is now supplying residents with higher quality drinking water sourced from the Swan and Meredith rivers.
“Swansea water is now treated using a “DAFF” process, which stands for Dissolved Air Floatation + Filtration. Air is introduced to raw, untreated water which then flows into a flotation tank. The air forms tiny bubbles sticking to any dirt or suspended particles. These then float to the surface of the water and are removed. This partially treated water is then passed through a sand filter to remove any residual material and is then disinfected with chlorine and fluoridated.
“This water is then pumped to the Noyes St and Cathcart St reservoirs, and fed via gravity through reticulation pipes to homes and businesses throughout Swansea.”
“Final pipeworks in Maria, Wellington and Noyes Streets have been completed, and the Noyes and Cathcart St Reservoirs have been roofed to better protect the system and prevent microbiological contamination from external sources such as bird and animal excrement. Covering these water storages will also mean a reduction in the quantity of chemical disinfectants that need to be added to the water.
“The whole system is currently undergoing an extensive water quality testing program, overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). As mentioned in previous updates, customers may currently be noticing improvements in water quality but should continue to boil their water until the boil water notice is lifted by the DHHS. This extensive testing will be looking to confirm that Swansea water meets the water requirements in the Tasmanian Public Health Act (1997) and the Tasmanian Drinking Water Guidelines.”
The Swansea water supply, like all Southern Water drinking water systems, will undergo ongoing monitoring and testing to confirm water quality remains high and meets drinking water standards.
Southern Water wishes to thank all residents for their ongoing support and patience throughout the Swansea Water Project.
Southern Water