Birdlings Flat water supply to be temporarily chlorinated

The Birdlings Flat water supply has been temporarily chlorinated after regular testing detected the presence of a low number of contaminants.

The contaminants aren’t harmful, but their presence indicates there is a pathway for potentially dangerous contaminants, such as E.coli, to get into the water supply.

Manager Service Excellence Three Waters Tim Drennan says temporary chlorination will ensure the water supply is safe while we work to resolve the issue.

“Being able to quickly respond to contamination events is an important part of being able to safely and responsibly manage an unchlorinated water supply. The temporary chlorination will ensure the water supply is safe while we work to resolve the issue.”

“Regular testing has been done to make sure the water supply is safe. We’ll undertake additional testing and continue to investigate the cause of contamination.”

“A low level of chlorine has been temporarily introduced to the water supply and will remain in place until we are confident the water supply is safe and secure.”

“People living in Birdlings Flat may smell or taste chlorine in their water. The chlorine is harmless but if residents are concerned about the taste, they can keep drinking water in a jug in the fridge. The chlorine taste will dissipate naturally over a few hours.”

“It may take a few days for residents to notice chlorine in their water as they are on a restricted water supply, which means each house has its own water storage tank.”

A power outage caused by a traffic accident has temporarily taken out power to the water treatment plant. Orion has advised that power will be back on later today so this shouldn’t significantly impact the community.  We’ll be keeping a close eye on the water supply and will be ready to bring water to the treatment plant via tanker if required.