Scamander is set to enjoy a summer holiday season with a new service bringing benefits to residents and visitors alike-a fully drinkable water supply.
TasWater along with the Department of Health and Human Services today officially lifted the town’s Boil Water Alert.
CEO Michael Brewster says TasWater is delighted water consumers in Scamander can now drink water without having to boil it.
“It was nearly 10 years ago that Scamander was put on a boil water alert and it’s been far too long between “drinks straight from the tap” for both people who live in the town and tourists who visit the area.”
Scamander is just the first of 24 communities across Tasmania which TasWater has committed to providing drinkable tap water to over the next two years.
“Already 99 percent of our customers receive water they can drink straight from the tap but the rest – these 24 towns – remain equally important to us.”
A campaign called 24 glasses will see TasWater undertake a process of consultation with these communities to find the best way of providing drinking water within two years.
When TasWater got the job of managing Scamander’s water system in 2013, there were many issues to address before getting it up to standard. The problems were compounded over summer when the peak visitor season put extra demand on the water supply and it just couldn’t cope, even though the town had a water treatment plant since 2012. Much of the town relies on the tourist season for its income and TasWater has always acknowledged the need to boil drinking has been very frustrating for the community.
“TasWater has undertaken significant work to achieve the lifting of the Boil Water Alert including a new pre-treatment process at the water plant, improvement in the reticulation network, and new main supply line to the town’s reservoir.”
“Now after all the measures TasWater has put in place, the Department of Health and Human Services is satisfied Scamander’s water treatment plant can consistently produce water which meets Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, ending the requirement to boil water before drinking it.”
“I am really pleased Scamander will now be able to provide its residents and holiday makers on the east coast with a quality water supply and TasWater appreciates the patience the town has shown over many years.”
TasWater’s 24 Glasses project is the first initiative in a plan to increase infrastructure spending on water and sewerage across the state to $1.5 billion over the next ten years.
For more information on the 24glasses project and updates as they occur, visit www.24glasses.com.au
TasWater
