Lady Barron water treatment plant on schedule

Residents of Lady Barron are one step closer to receiving a fully treated water supply with TasWater’s new water treatment plant undergoing commissioning.

The treatment facility located just off Lady Barron Road will continue to draw its water from the existing bore field although five new bores have just been installed to meet future demand.

Currently water supplied to Lady Barron needs to be boiled before it is consumed. After the commissioning process is complete, this will no longer be required as water produced by the new water treatment plant will meet Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

The treated water will initially be pumped to a storage reservoir at Vinegar Hill and then fed by gravity to the township of Lady Barron. A new reservoir is planned adjacent to the existing storage facility.

TasWater is currently making contact with customers in Lady Barron to outline the introduction of the new water system.

While the plant is already producing treated water, it must go through a rigorous commissioning process over several weeks before the Department of Health and Human Services will remove Lady Barron’s boil water alert.

TasWater CEO Michael Brewster says fully treated water will bring many benefits to the Flinders Island community of Lady Barron.

“Not only will residents no longer have to boil their drinking water but the town will be able to provide visitors to Flinders Island with water they can drink directly from the tap with confidence.”

“The upgraded water system will also provide a good basis on which the Island can build and expand tourism and other business.”

Flinders Council will provide plumbing permit information packs to explain the process to revert from a dual water supply (rainwater collection tank and reticulated supply) to a single point of supply, if residents and business operators wish to do so. Flinders Council will also waive the associated plumbing permit fee.
TasWater CEO Michael Brewster