Paul Bibby
Ballina Council is scrambling to provide water to residents of Skennar’s Head after it suffered a total water outage, the cause of which is not yet known.
In a statement released this morning the Council said it had installed and tested a new temporary water main to supply the town, which lost water supply on Monday afternoon.
This back up water supply still has lower than normal pressure and residents are urged to minimise use to bathing, cooking and drinking.
Over the past 24 hours Council has supplied over 350,000 litres into the Skennars Head area via tankers to help with emergency supply. This water has not reached all properties due to pressure and flow constraints. Council crews have also been working to distribute bottled water to households in immediate need.
Meanwhile the Council says it will continue to investigate the cause of this water outage and work on a solution first thing Wednesday morning.
The water main being inspected is over 2.5 kilometres in length and runs through thick vegetation and swamp areas. Council has also deployed its drone to survey the area.
Residents needing to access showers are still welcome to use the hot and cold showers at the Ballina Indoor Sports Centre (BISC) located on Cherry Street, Ballina.
The BISC is open from 8.30am to 10pm on weekdays. The Ballina Indoor Sports Centre has separate male and female showers. The referee showers and change rooms have also been allocated specifically for family use.
Council has apologised for the significant inconvenience.
Tips to remember during water outages
* Leave your taps off as the water may return at any time.
* When water returns it may be discoloured. This is due to sediment. Run the tap until your water runs clear.
* Water may appear milky when it returns. This is caused by small air bubbles. It is not harmful, and will settle in a short period.
If you have any enquiries in regard to this matter please contact council’s Water and Wastewater Section on Council’s after hours number 02 6626 6954 or 1300 864 444 during business hours.
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