Body corp silent on water plan
COURAN Cove’s body corporate can’t say whether a water risk management plan has been developed more than 15 months after Gold Coast Health found marginal arsenic levels in the drinking water.
Initial tests by Gold Coast Health and the Gold Coast City Council in late 2019 found a “high level of iron and arsenic is right on the line” at the Couran Cove water treatment plant and recommended the resort implement a water risk management plan.
Subsequent investigations found the water safe to drink. However, the resort will not confirm if a water risk management plan has been developed.
Gold Coast Public Health Unit senior environmental health officer Leanne Wells reported to plant operator Simmonds and Bristow through the council that water samples taken at Couran Cove on October 29, 2019 found arsenic levels just below the health guideline value.
She also wrote that there was no monitoring of the disinfection process and that Simmons and Bristow had no water risk management plan “as their contract is to only operate and maintain the water treatment plant/supply”.
“The results of the water sampling conducted on 29/10/19 indicate that there is a potential risk to the safety of the drinking water at Couran Cove,” she wrote.
“The management at Couran Cove should develop and implement a risk management plan to identify and manage those risks to the drinking water supply.
“As arsenic has now been identified as a risk … increased monitoring should be undertaken to assess the risk to drinking water and implement control measures to manage the identified risks.”
Simmonds and Bristow was brought on to manage and operate the plant after Ms Wells’ initial investigation found a host of issues in July 2019.
Simmonds on Tuesday said it rectified the issues and provided a detailed report showing extensive testing of the water had proved it safe to drink. Principal water engineer David Bristow stated the water supply provided to Couran Cove resort is “fit for human consumption and does not present a risk to human health based on the monitoring results to date”. It said that “effective monitoring” for arsenic in the water began in January 2020 after the October 29 result found arsenic was “right on the line”.
Gold Coast Health told the Bulletin the confirmed water sample results all met ADWG health guideline values.
However, the spokesperson said it “recommended the implementation of a water risk management plan following these inspections”.
The Bulletin repeatedly asked Couran Cove Community Body Corporate treasurer Lachlan McIntosh whether a water risk management plan had been adopted.
He said it had not been asked for one nor was it required by legislation.