TasWater’s new $4 million water treatment plant at East Maurice Road has started to produce fully-treated water.
The plant is the key to supplying fully treated water to the five towns of Ringarooma, Legerwood, Branxholm, Winnaleah and Derby, resulting in the lifting of Boil Water alerts and Do Not Consume notices.
Sourced from the Upper Ringarooma Irrigation Scheme Dam just south of Ringarooma, the water runs through new pipelines buried along existing roads and stored in local reservoirs in Derby and Ringarooma. The plant will undergo a stringent testing process before TasWater can supply the water to its customers.
Overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, this testing will ensure it complies with all Tasmanian health regulations as well as the Australian Drinking Water Guideline.
TasWater’s CEO Mike Brewster said the upgrade will provide the five townships with a safe, healthy and reliable water supply.
“TasWater is getting on with the job of improving drinking water quality across the state, and the Ringarooma treatment plant will serve 604 customers in the north east. It will increase the number of TasWater customers receiving fully treated water from 99.2 per cent to 99.4 per cent.”
“The upgrade will mean that more Tasmanian households will have access to water they can drink straight from the tap.
“Not only will this benefit the locals, but it will help the whole area develop its tourism and other industries and give businesses a boost,” Mr Brewster said.
TasWater crews and contractors are working across all the towns that make up the Ringarooma water scheme. They are flushing and scouring water mains to prepare them.
Michael Brewster says that overall, TasWater is investing more than $14 million in the upgrade of the Ringarooma area’s water supply. TasWater will keep the community informed of progress ahead of the DHHS approving the lifting of public health alerts relating to the use of water, which for now remain in place