Cairns Regional Council is closely monitoring weather conditions and potential impacts on the city's water supply, with forecasts indicating potentially significant rainfall across key catchments in the weeks and months ahead.
Council Chief Executive Officer Ken Gouldthorp said the combination of increasing demand and forecast wet weather could affect water treatment operations.
Mr Gouldthorp urged residents to also keep a close eye on the weather forecast to minimise water usage such as watering lawns and filling pools.
Council may look to implement further water restrictions sooner than usual with the city's water supply network being affected by a range of challenges at several water reservoirs, along with high usage.
Council teams and contractors are currently on site at the University and Brinsmead Reservoirs to conduct emergency rectification works, while geotechnical studies to build a potential new reservoir above the current University Reservoir site are also being fast-tracked.
Residents are reminded to follow permanent water conservation measures which have been in place since 2007. Details of the restrictions are below.
Mr Gouldthorp said Council was monitoring conditions across both the Freshwater Creek and Behana Creek catchments.
"Heavy rainfall can cause higher turbidity - or cloudiness and dirty water - in the raw water, which can make it difficult for our treatment plants to operate effectively," he said.
"If turbidity levels rise too much, one or both plants may need to pause operations temporarily to maintain water quality standards."
The Freshwater Creek and Behana Creek treatment plants together supply most of the city's drinking water. Any temporary shutdowns caused by poor raw water quality would place additional pressure on the city's stored reserves.
Mr Gouldthorp urged residents to use water wisely, with usage trending upward in recent weeks, averaging around 80 megalitres per day, with a recent peak of 87 megalitres recorded last Friday (3 October).
"We want to minimise the amount of drinking water we draw down from our reservoirs while we face the current challenges, so getting our daily usage closer to 70ML during periods of wet weather is our goal," Mr Gouldthorp said.
"With the forecast of rainfall and usage rising, it's a timely reminder for everyone to use water wisely.
"Small actions like reducing outdoor watering, fixing leaks, and keeping showers short all help ease pressure on the network."
Mr Gouldthorp said the situation underscores the importance of long-term water security investments such as the Cairns Water Security – Stage 1 Project, due for completion in late 2026. The project will deliver a new water intake, treatment plant and reservoirs to strengthen the city's resilience to extreme weather events.
"Council and our partners in the Queensland and Australian Governments are investing in the future security of Cairns' water supply," he said.
"But we are also managing ongoing challenges with our network, which is why it's critical that everyone plays their part in reducing the load on the system."
Permanent water restrictions in place include:
- Odd-numbered houses can use sprinklers on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday: 5am - 9am and 5pm - 9pm.
- Even-numbered houses can use sprinklers on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday: 5am - 9am and 5pm - 9pm.
- No sprinkler use on Monday.
- Hand-held hoses with a trigger nozzle, watering cans and buckets can be used at any time.
