Water GM hopes for new policies by May
THE Toowoomba Regional Council’s new water and waste general manager wants to see water-saving initiatives and restrictions put in place by May.
Veteran public servant Damian Platts, who joined the council from a similar posting in the Northern Territory, accepted that Toowoomba’s dwindling water supply and lack of rain were looming problems.
Now two months into the role, Mr Platts said he wanted to start water-saving initiatives soon.
“We’re drought declared we’ve seen a rain season that has not produced much rain,” he said.
“We’re conscious of the water level and water demand.
“We are running an information session to the councillors about these conditions and I wouldn’t want to predicate or pre-empt a decision from council.
“(But) front of mind is the level of dams and the failure of rain season.”
Toowoomba’s three dams are about 54 per cent, with the option to pump water from Wivenhoe Dam to Cressbrook available when the levels go below 40 per cent.
While Mr Platts acknowledged the Wivenhoe plan, installed by his predecessor Kevin Flanagan, but said he hoped to avoid having to use it.
“There’s a range of interventions that I envisage - I’m looking to minimising the costs on the community,” he said.
“If we hit that (40 per cent) in November, would I recommend we run that? If it was mid-month, there’s a capacity charge that is quite expensive.
“Would I wait until February or even March until I see a full view of the weather patterns?
“When it hits 40 per cent, I’ll still be assessing the need of it at the time.”
Mr Platts said there were other actions the council could take, other than further water restrictions.
“Roughly half of people’s usage would be out in the garden, so how do we get people to water their gardens and giving them efficient and smart watering techniques?” he said.
“There could be some fantastic water-saving achievements by working with commercial users and working to reduce water consumption.
“I would want to have something happening soon, in the form of leak checkers. I would love to see them from May or June.”
Watering of gardens in Toowoomba is limited from Tuesday to Sunday, and only before 10am or after 4pm.
There are also special restrictions in place in Yarraman, Clifton, Nobby, Millmerran, Pittsworth, Brookstead and Cecil Plains
❝ There’s a range of interventions that I envisage - I’m looking to minimising the costs on the community.
— Damian Platts