Water supply solution needs input from engineers

THE Townsville Bulletin ( 4/ 10/ 17) has a plea from the city council to cut water usage to avoid Stage 4 restrictions.

Probably an earnest plea to the residents to get the city council out of a predicament after decades of procrastination and many non engineering decisions by people in council positions with no en- gineering qualifications as to establishing a drought proof necessary supply.

The mooted stopgap solution now proposed will inevitably be asked by those who are not qualified to do so, to again make non- engineering changes to the project.

Where are the council engineering staff? They probably are not game to decry non- engineering ideas put forward by non- qualified engineering officers as they would be worried about their employment prospects for questioning council officer’s ideas to a permanent once- off solution by an immediate start to the Burdekin Dam site, and not to an overloaded drainage ditch.

Any announcements by city council officers about the water supply inevitably state that we already have a pipeline to the Burdekin Dam, when it is not fact.

At some time in the future, when, the inevitable comes to pass, i. e. a pipeline eventually makes it to the present dam site, or future dam sites, the proposed stopgap solution will inevitably become a white elephant because of the cost of power will obviate its non use.

Water pumping costs will continue to escalate because of present power polices no matter what statements are emitted from politicians.

B. FRAZER, Mount Louisa.