MidCoast Council has engaged an independent consultant to review the performance of the Gloucester Water Supply System in response to public concerns about the corrosion of copper water pipes at several properties.
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Some members of the community believe the leaking copper pipes have been caused by incidents of high levels of chlorine.
In March 2015, the community was sent an urgent warning by MidCoast Water to not drink the tap water after a dosing issue at the water treatment plant.
Gloucester residents are advised an overdose of chlorine has occurred and as a precautionary measure the water should not be consumed until further notice. Caution is recommended for anyone with skin sensitivities, a MidCoast Water spokesperson advised.
It was later revealed that independent investigators concluded that equipment failure was the cause.
By August 2015, a number of critical works had been completed at the water treatment plant including the replacement of the chlorine dosing system and the design and purchase of automation equipment to allow for more reliable monitoring and reporting systems.
As MidCoast Water was dissolved into MidCoast Council in 2017, the matter of the corroded copped pipes is being investigated by council.
Council's director of infrastructure and engineering services, Rob Scott said he was aware that some in the community were blaming chlorine overdosing for the corrosion issue but he was confident it's simply not true.
"The Gloucester system was impacted by a chlorine dosing system failure in 2015 which resulted in high levels of chlorine being present in the water supply for a relatively short period," he said.
"Since then we've improved the treatment plant considerably to ensure that it won't happen again."
He advised that there's been ongoing investment in keeping the system in good condition.
"We're continually adjusting the system to maintain a small residual amount of active chlorine to keep the water disinfected, destroying pathogens like viruses, bacteria and any microbes that can make people sick."
Mr Scott said all pipe materials age over time and none are immune to breaking.
"Corrosion of copper water pipes within properties is not uncommon regardless of whether they are connected to town water or use rainwater," Mr Scott explained.
"The corrosion of copper water pipes can be influenced by a range of factors, including the quality of the pipe to begin with, the way it has been installed, contact with other metals and faulty earthing of electrical circuits to name a few. The natural corrosiveness of water and whether it's soft or hard can also play a part."
Mr Scott said while copper pipe corrosion is a normal occurrence and has been reported by Gloucester residents in the past, it was important not to dismiss community concerns without an independent review.
The review will take into account the experiences of property owners, operation of the water system, historical performance data including both raw and treated water quality, and the water industry's wealth of published material on the topic. It will also compare the system with other systems in NSW and the current legislative or regulatory requirements.
Mr Scott said the Gloucester Water Supply System had continued to meet or exceed the requirements of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and council's own Drinking Water Quality Risk Management Plan in recent years, despite the pressures of bushfires, drought and widespread flooding.
"From the routine testing completed so far this year, 100 per cent of the samples have complied with the drinking water guidelines for microbial, chemical and physical parameters," Mr Scott said.
"Our last annual report for 2019/2020 showed 99.7 per cent compliance with the requirements from 334 tests." The guidelines require more than 98 per cent of tests to comply.
Despite the positive data, Mr Scott said the findings from the independent review would ultimately provide everyone with greater clarity around the corrosion issue and "how we could address it now and into the future. The review will provide us with recommendations and some options for property owners to consider."
The investigation is expected to be completed in July and council will share the findings with the community as soon as they are available.
Major construction work on new reservoirs and water mains in Gloucester is also underway, which will improve the quality and pressure of the town's water supply and replace infrastructure that has deteriorated over time.
Initial planning has also begun to provide long-term water security to the community and replace the existing water treatment plant.
"We've made improvements to the treatment plant since 2015 and its performance has been optimised to deliver the best quality treated water it can," Mr Scott said.
In 2018, the plant underwent upgrades that focused on managing risk and failures off the back of the 2015 incident due to machine failure.
"However, the last major upgrade of the plant was back in the 1980s and it uses a conventional water filtration process. Modern treatment plants tend to use more sophisticated treatment processes," Mr Scott explained.
"Maintaining public health at all times is the number one priority for all our operators. Our staff live and work in the community and take their roles very seriously."
For more information on MidCoast Council's water quality testing regime, visit www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/water-services/drinking-water-quality
More on the current Gloucester Water Upgrade can be found here: www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/gloucesterwater
