Cook Shire Council has taken out the 2013 Orica Australia Best of the Best Queensland Water Taste Test at the LGAQ State Conference in Cairns on Tuesday, 22 October with the water from Cooktown being selected as the best by conference delegates through some 300 individual “tastes.”
Orica’s George Lech, LGAQ President Cr Margaret De Wit andqldwaterCEO Dave Cameron presented the gold lego treatment plant trophy to an excited Cook Shire Council Mayor, Cr Peter Scott.
While the taste test is about how good tap water tastes, it is also meant to help inform the community about how much effort goes into providing quality drinking water. This is an essential, sustainable service provided 24/7 by the staff of your local water utility.
As usual in the state finals, the results were very close and Cooktown narrowly pipped Bundaberg to take the honours.
The taste test forms part of the qldwater on tap campaign, which aims to show our communities the benefits of safe, secure and sustainable water services, promoting tap water as a smarter choice. Through qldwater on tap we hope to assist our members to find meaningful ways to engage with their communities. For more information visit our website at www.qldwaterontap.com.au.
30 members competed in regional finals held during the year with six regional winners fighting out the grand final:
Bundaberg’s Lover’s Walk Scheme was selected as the best tasting tap water in SEQ, taking on Gympie Regional Council, North Burnett Regional Council, Unitywater and Wide Bay Water/ Fraser Coast Regional Council.
Lovers Walk groundwater is drawn from the Elliott Formation consisting of a sand and gravel aquifer between 20 and 40 metres below ground level. The groundwater drawn from Lovers Walk is a very soft water free from impurities. The untreated groundwater is very aggressive water due to the high carbon dioxide content, low pH and alkalinity. The treatment process consists of the groundwater being pumped to an aeration spraybed, where excess carbon dioxide is removed. The aerated water then filters through a bed of limestone for pH correction and neutralisation prior to being gravity-fed to a collection chamber and then chlorinated on its way to a storage reservoir, and pumped to the reticulation system.
Goondiwindi Regional Council's Inglewood schemewalked away with the honours in the SWQ region, taking on Western Downs Regional Council, Toowoomba Regional Council and Maranoa Regional Council.
The Inglewood supply is drawn from the Macintyre Brook with water stored in the Coolmunda Dam. The water, that serves water users along the Macintyre Brook and beyond Goondiwindi, is dosed with polymer, then passes through sediment tanks and sand filters before being stored in a chlorinated reservoir with gravity distribution.
Cook Shire Council's Cooktown scheme won bragging rights in the Far North where six councils battled it out with a total of nine samples entered into the contest.
Cooktown gets its water from the Annan River from where alum, soda ash and polymer are added before going to a sedimentation tank and through sand filters. They inject lime and CO2 to make the water less corrosive and to correct the PH, then chlorine is added to disinfect the water. Fluoride is the final chemical to be added.
Whitsunday Regional Council’s Mt Julian scheme got the honours for the NQ region.
Mt Julian gets its water from bore fields on the Proserpine River aquifer, from where it goes through a process of aeration, chlorination, coagulation, flocculation, dual media filtration, final stabilisation and disinfection and then pumped out to the Cannonvale and Airlie Beach Scheme.
Utilities that battled it out in the NQ semi-final included Burdekin Shire Council, Charters Towers Regional Council, Hinchinbrook Shire Council, Mackay Regional Council, Townsville Regional Council and Whitsunday Regional Council.
Diamantina Shire Council’s Bedourie Water Scheme took out the Western Queensland regional title in Longreach.
Water sourced directly from the Great Artesian Basin and cooled in innovative ponds provides Bedourie residents and the travelling public with a refreshingly natural alternative to spring, rain and river water.
Other entries included Diamantina’s Birdsville scheme, Longreach Shire Council’s Ilfracombe and Isisford schemes and Barcaldine Regional Council’s Aramac scheme.
Gladstone Regional Council's Agnes Water entry won the CQ Regional Title in Rockhampton.
The award-winning drop is treated at the Springs Road WTP and distributed through the system to the townships of Agnes Water and 1770.
Other entries included Banana Shire Council (Callide Dam and Biloela), Central Highlands Regional Council (Capella), Gladstone Regional Council (Bororen), Isaac Regional Council (Moranbah) and last years regional winner Rockhampton Regional Council (Rockhampton).