Residents are being urged to prepare for possible disruptions to the city's water supply following heavy rainfall, which can impact water treatment operations and reservoir capacity.
Council CEO Ken Gouldthorp urged residents to store water safely and continue to adhere to current permanent restrictions in place.
The combination of heavy rain and the current reduced operating capacity of the Cairns water network means residents should take the following steps if disruptions to the water supply occur:
- Use clean, food-grade containers to store drinking water. Store in a cool, dark place; refresh every 3 months.
- For non-potable water, save rainwater, collect shower water, or use pool water for toilets and gardens.
Having stored water means you can drink, cook, and clean even during service disruptions.
Most of Cairns' drinking water is sourced from Copperlode Falls Dam, with a smaller contribution from Behana Creek.
Untreated water from these sources is processed at the Freshwater Creek and Behana Creek water treatment plants before being pumped into a network of reservoirs across the city.
However, reservoir capacity is currently reduced with two major reservoirs (Brinsmead and Bayview) offline and the University Reservoir operating at around 65 per cent capacity.
Emergency works on University Reservoir have been completed and work to bring Brinsmead Reservoir back online is progressing well, with repairs to the Bayview Reservoir set to begin after the wet season.
Mr Gouldthorp said the combination of heavy rainfall and reduced storage capacity presents ongoing challenges.
Further water restrictions beyond the current Level 0 will be considered if prolonged heavy rain and treatment plant shutdowns occur.
"A large amount of rainfall can create significant problems for us in providing tap water," Mr Gouldthorp said.
"High rainfall causes high turbidity within the raw water supply. If turbidity levels rise too much, we may need to pause operations temporarily to maintain water quality standards, and we're limited to the amount of water we've got stored in our reservoirs."
"So even while it's wet and raining and there's lots of water out there, we do have a substantial risk to our tap or potable water supply."
"We encourage people to store some potable water every cyclone season and wet season, and this year, it's even more important."
"We are asking people to look at their cyclone kit and their safety preparedness. Make sure you have things like batteries, a radio, sufficient food supply, and that you are storing some potable water."
Conserve water
Residents are also encouraged to conserve water, which will help maintain water levels in the reservoirs and network.
This includes:
- Taking shorter showers.
- Fixing leaking taps or toilets quickly.
- Delaying high water-use activities (like washing cars or topping up pools)
- Reporting leaks or main breaks.
"When we come out of rainy conditions and it suddenly gets hot, we are reminding everyone to please be very mindful and continue conserving water as they have been over the past few months," Mr Gouldthorp said.
"It's very important that we keep reservoirs full before the next rain and storm events."
