Council to probe water fail

CAIRNS Regional Council will investigate a water security plan for two suburbs, where residents were left without water for several hours last month.

A burst water main along the Captain Cook Highway at Aeroglen, near the Barron River bridge, led about 3400 properties in Holloways and Machans beaches being without running water for more than 12 hours on February 18.

The council blamed the problem on a 33-year-old section of pipe.

At the council’s ordinary meeting on Wednesday, however, Division 3 Councillor Richie Bates said if the redundancy systems had been properly working, residents would not have lost water.

“In this particular incidence, there was no alternative feed to Holloways or Machans (beaches) which left the residents disA CONCERN: Division 3 Councillor Richie Bates. advantaged,” Cr Bates said.

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said the council would investigate the redundancy systems for Holloways and Machans beaches. He said there was already a water redundancy scheme for the suburbs, however it failed last month.

“You can build a redundancy into everything, but there’s a cost,” he said. “But let’s get the report, and not prejudge anything.”

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