: News Article

Cities rely on Big Bertha

02/02/2004

Meet Big Bertha and her seven sisters. You will be relying on them for your water supply over coming days.

Bertha is a diesel generated pump which will supply Douglas Water Treatment Plant while the mains system from Ross River Dam is shut down for a major maintenance project.

Contractors to NQ Water are connecting a new pipeline to replace an aging part of the system that crosses Black Weir near Gollogly Lane.

The pumps have been brought in from all over the eastern seaboard for the occasion; four from Victoria, two from Newcastle, and one each from the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Together they are able to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool in just over 16 minutes, or the equivalent of providing 80 megalitres a day of raw water out of Black Weir.

NQ Water Chair Ian Hamilton said the $16,000 dollars a day it is costing to run the pumps to ensure that Townsville and Thuringowa have a suitable back up system is within the operational budget.

"The provision of reliable, clean water to residents is NQ Water's upmost priority," said Mr Hamilton.

"The pumps are part of a four pronged approach to ensure the continuity of water supply while a replacement pipeline is fitted to the mains system.

"We have also asked the community to avoid all non-essential use of water, including all use outside the home or office, for three days from Wednesday this week.

"Residents and business owners have already responded positively by keeping consumption down around the 100 to 110 ML per day mark, from a high of 220 ML recorded this summer."

Q Water has also ramped up supply from Mt Spec to more than 45 ML and filling all reservoirs prior to the project, giving another 200 ML of supply.

© 2004 NQ Water