The annual Healthy Waterways Report Card has shown improvements in the water quality grades for four catchments surrounding Seqwater’s dam water storages in South East Queensland, while the grades of another two catchments have remained the same as last year.
Seqwater says health improvements in some of its dam catchments are good news for the quality of South East Queensland’s drinking water and is looking forward to working with the community to continue to improve catchment health.
Seqwater Chief Executive Officer Terri Benson said managing catchment health is an important part of ensuring a high quality water supply.
“Seqwater is the only major bulk water supplier in Australia to manage open catchments, allowing the community to enjoy lakes and catchment land while ensuring high quality bulk water for the region,” Ms Benson said.
“Our catchments are also the most highly developed in the country. As a result, the treatment of water needs to begin within those catchments.”
“Caring for our catchments helps ensure a more cost effective and high quality water supply.
“When large amounts of mud and silt are washed into our dams and waterways it makes it harder to treat the water, increasing the cost and the time it takes.
“Catchment management is one of the best ways to protect the security of our drinking water supply.”
The Mid Brisbane catchment, downstream of Wivenhoe Dam, has improved from an F to a D minus while the Pine catchment has moved from a C to a B minus.
Seqwater is investing more than $5 million in improving catchment health and understanding this financial year and works in partnership with organisations such as Healthy Waterways to ensure a whole-of-catchment approach to managing our natural resources.
Ms Benson said Seqwater manages about 65,000 hectares of land, less than five per cent of the total watershed and catchment area.
“This is why it is so critically important for us to work with landholders, catchment care groups, community and environmental organisations, and state and local governments.
“Improving the health of catchments is a team effort and it’s gratifying to see the countless hours of revegetation and clean-up work carried out by both volunteers and organisations starting to pay off.”
