The science behind safe drinking water

BEHIND all the construction involved in removing public health alerts, there has been a lot of science.

Each treatment plant is designed to accommodate different types of water.

Considerations include varying levels of turbidity and colour in the water, the removal of contaminants like bacteria and protozoa or chemicals whether naturally occurring algal toxins, metals or pesticides and residues from industry.

Taswater water systems performance leader Luc Richard says each treatment process is tailored to the catchment.

“Some relatively clean catchments will have a sand filter and chlorine disinfection; others with more contaminants may have membrane filters, ultra violet disinfection, activated carbon treatment and chlorine,” he said.

Public health alerts are only lifted after testing satisfies the Department of Health that the water meets Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, a national standard for best practice as well as Tasmania’s own water quality standards, which are legally enforceable.

“The assessment and approval to lift so many PHAs in such a short time frame has been greatly assisted by our close collaboration with the Department of Health,” Mr Richard said.

“This is Taswater’s biggest initiative to secure the health of Tasmanians”