Water Restriction Confusion Cleared Up for Singleton Residents

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Singleton residents have raised concern with Council about which water restrictions apply to them, with both Singleton Council and Hunter Water as registered water providers for different parts of the area.

Hunter Water provides water services to Branxton with residents on level two restrictions. 

Singleton Council provides water services to Singleton, Jerrys Plains, Mount Thorley and Broke,

with customers currently subjected to level one water restrictions. 

However, a report has been prepared for Council for their February meeting, where they will consider moving to level two.

Hunter Water has three levels of water restrictions, while Singleton has six levels of water restrictions, ranging from one being low to six being critical.

Level 2 Water Restrictions On The Way for Lower Hunter

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

Level 2 water restrictions will be introduced across the Lower Hunter as dam levels continue to fall.

Under Level 2 restrictions, showers are limited to 4 minutes in length, outdoor watering is limited to 15 minutes every second day and vehicles and buildings can only be washed with a bucket.

The region has reduced its water usage by 17% since Level 1 restrictions came into force in September but it's not enough to compete with hot and dry conditions forecast to continue until the end of summer.

According to State Water Minister Melinda Pavey the Lower Hunter's dams are declining at a rate of roughly one per cent each week.

Hunter Water reports water storage levels have now reached 57.9%, the lowest they've been since July 1980.

The corporation's Executive Drought Lead Darren Cleary said he's hopeful further restrictions would build on the significant savings made since September.

“We’ve been working closely with our large business customers who use more than 10 million litres of water a year to develop Water Efficiency Management Plans. This will soon be expanded to our smaller business customers as they start preparing their own plans," Mr Cleary said.

“Thank you to everyone in our community for playing their part to save water, because your efforts are helping make a difference.”

Level 2 water restrictions will commence across the Lower Hunter from January 20, 2020.

More information on Level 2 water restrictions can be found at Hunter Water's website.

Image: Hunter Water

Lower Hunter Water Restrictions Introduced for the First Time in 25 Years

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL and TYLER FARDELL

It's been confirmed water restrictions will be introduced to the Lower Hunter for the first time in 25 years.

Level 1 restrictions will begin on Monday, September 16 in the area's of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Cessnock, Port Stephens, Dungog and Singleton.

Image: Hunter Water Corporation

NSW Water minister Melinda Pavey's announcement comes as a response to the worst drought on record for NSW, which has reduced the region's water storage levels to just 64%.

"While autumn and winter are typically the highest rainfall seasons for the Lower Hunter, the rainfall has not eventuated, causing the region’s dams to fall to their lowest levels in more than two decades,” said Ms Pavey.

"With no significant rainfall on the horizon, the introduction of Level 1 water restrictions forms an important part of Hunter Water’s drought response to help reduce demand on the water supply."

Hunter Water Acting CEO Graham Wood said Hunter Water will be working with residents and businesses to better conserve water.

"Water is crucial to people in the Lower Hunter so we'll be working together with all of our customers to save this precious resource, whilst ensuring the continuity of their lives and businesses", he said.

Level 1 water restrictions include:

• Outdoor watering is permitted before 10am or after 4pm with a trigger nozzle hose

• All handheld hoses must have a trigger nozzle

• No hosing of hard surfaces such as concrete, paths and driveways

• All vehicles should be washed with a bucket, trigger nozzle hose or pressure cleaner

• No sprinklers are to be used.

Hunter Water Executive Drought Lead Darren Cleary says although they have the power to fine people for not adhering to these restrictions, Hunter Water is relying on cooperation from residents to ensure no excess water is wasted.

Grahamstown Dam

Hunter Water Levels at 13-Year Low

BY TAHLIA HALE.

The Hunter's water storage levels have reached a thirteen-year low of 67% capacity, edging closer to the 60% capacity at which level one water restrictions will be enforced.

According to predictions from Hunter Water, level one restrictions will apply within the next six months if the region receives average rainfall. 

Hunter Water's Lauren Eyles said it's important to keep conserving water as best we can.

"If low rainfall conditions continue, we could reach level one water restrictions in mid to late September," said Ms Eyles.

Under level one restrictions, households and businesses cannot use sprinklers at any time, except for the limited irrigation of sports ovals.

The Hunter's water levels drop faster than most other major Australian urban centres during hot, dry periods as we have high evaporation rates and shallow water storages.

Lauren Eyles said there's a lot Hunter residents can do to conserve water.

"Little things make a big difference,"

"Simple things like having a shorter shower, only watering the garden with a trigger nozzle, and waiting until you have a full load before you use the washing machine or dishwasher."

Image: Hunter Water.

Hunter Water Levels Lowest in 13 Years

BY KAYNE STEPHENS AND MADELAINE MCNEILL

Drinking water will soon be drawn from the Tomago Sandbeds to fill a shortfall in the Hunter as water levels drop to their lowest in 13 years.

The sandbeds are part of the Lower Hunter's drought response systems and can provide 20 per cent of the region's drinking water when needed.

Hunter Water's Chief Investment Officer Darren Cleary says the water source is safe and is only used as a backup due to higher costs involved in treating the water.

Water from the sandbeds can be discoloured due to higher levels of difficult-to-remove iron and mineral manganese, but Darren Cleary says discoloured water doesn't pose a health risk and residents can try turning their tap on full for a few minutes to clear the pipes.

"We've got extensive water quality testing throughout the borefields to demonstrate that the water we're drawing from Tomago aquifer is safe to drink, and importantly we are not drawing any water from the Williamtown Management Area," said Mr Cleary.

"Our customers can have confidence in the controls that have been put in place to ensure their drinking water remains safe and meets the Guidelines."

Hunter Water will begin drawing water from the Tomago Sandbeds from Monday, June 3rd.

Council on their own over Stockton Beach clean up

BY TYLER FARDELL

Following four days of strong rain and ferocious winds in January this year, an old landfill tip on Stockton Beach was exposed and rubbish began to pour out onto the beach and into the ocean.

Four months on, 8 thousand tonnes of rubbish still remains on the beach awaiting disposal.

Newcastle City Council and Hunter Water are working together to dispose of the rubbish safely but were hoping the Environmental Protection Authority would grant them an exemption from the waste levy.

The levy currently stands at $138.20 per tonne of waste, meaning the cost of the cleanup would jump from $3 million dollars to over $4 million dollars if an exemption was not granted.

The EPA can grant exemptions from paying the hefty levy if rubbish was caused by a severe weather event, something which many residents believe occurred in Janurary when more than 15 metres of sand in some areas was eroded from Stockton Beach.

Council and Hunter Water's request to be granted the levy was refused, with The Office of Emergency Management not declaring the storm a 'natural disaster' and deeming it not severe enough.

The issue has sparked heavy criticism over the state Governments waste levy scheme, with critics accusing the government of using the levy to prop up Government coffers.

According to a statement from Hunter Water which was provided to 2NURFM, all the material will be excavated from the site and disposed of by the end of June.

Stockton Beach
Source; TheNewcastleHerald

The Tap Water in Maitland Has Turned a bit... Brown.

BY JESSICA ROUSE

If you've turned your tap on in some parts of the Hunter after a fresh glass of water over the last few days and been left disappointed getting a dirty glass instead - you're not alone.

Hunter Water has confirmed they've been receiving calls from residents in the wider Maitland area including Rutherford, Telarah, Gillieston Heights and Greta who have discoloured tap water.

The extreme heat we've been experiencing is being blamed for the discolouration. Hunter Water says the heat has put a high demand on the utility's system in recent days and as a result of the increased water flow natural sediment from the bottom of the pipes has dislodged, changing the appearance of the water.

"Hunter Water apologises to customers who might be experiencing an issue with discoloured water in the wider Maitland area over the last couple of days. Discoloured water is usually an aesthetic, rather than a health issue but people should avoid drinking the water if it is discoloured," said Kieran Smith from Hunter Water.

While the colour may be off-putting, it isn't a huge health concern.

"It's usually only a very temporary problem but to help customers, can first try clearing the water by turning the tap on for a full few minutes to flush their plumbing but if the water remains discoloured its best to ring our 24-hour emergency line on 1300 657 000 so we can send a technician to flush the mains in the street," said Kieran Smith.

Robert Todd Beefy on Facebook "Anyone having dirty
cold water through their taps?"

Stockton Rubbish Rises to the Surface

BY TYLER FARDELL

The huge swell and strong winds which battered Newcastle's coastline over the past weeks has uncovered a dirty secret in Stockton.

Over the weekend, much of the Stockton sand dunes close to the water were eroded away, revealing a disgusting sight for many locals who visit the area.

Currently, signs are in place to deter away any visitors as representatives from Newcastle City Council, Hunter Water and the Environment Protection Authority met today at the site to discuss the clean-up.

Many community members are worried the situation could get worse if the rubbish isn't cleaned up before another big swell hits and erodes more of the sandbank away, which has already collapsed in some places.

Keiran Smith from Hunter Water says they're looking to fix the situation as quick as they can.

"Today we're meeting with Council and the EPA to get this mess sorted out", he said. "We need to hire a licensed contractor to fix the site.

The site of the rubbish is on the land of Hunter Water so they'll be taking the lead of the cleanup.

"Our immediate focus is to make the site safe so that includes signage and security", Mr Smith said.

Rubbish along Stockton Beach
Photo source; NBN News

Hunter Wetlands three million litre welcome relief

BY JARROD MELMETH

Hunter Water has thrown the Hunter Wetlands Centre a lifeline in the form of three million litres of water, following an emergency request to tup up the dry wetlands in hopes of protecting the local bird population.

The recent dry weather has had an impact on local bird populations particularly Egrets with young chicks being unable to keep cool and sadly perishing.

Hunter Wetlands CEO Dr Stuart Blanch said the birds need water in the wetlands.

"When the chicks started getting ready to leave the nest about two weeks ago, suddenly it was an emergency because all the wetlands were dry and the birds, because of that, were dehydrating because if heat stress. There was no food because there was no water and their parents were not feeding them so we were losing about 10, 20, 30 birds a day were dying."

Since the water has been turned on, Dr Blanch says the birds are returning.

"I was watching on Saturday morning. We started the water at 10am and about midday there were 16 Egrets walking over the baked dry ground to where the water was flowing out and they were literally drinking the water straight from the hose. From that moment on a lot of birds in the Wetlands have come into the one-hectare area that has been saved," Dr Blanch said.

The water is expected to get the wetlands through the rest of summer, but Dr Blanch said this is not permanent this is a stop-gap measure.

"This is a solution for this summer, but we can't do it next summer and the summer after that. The reason why we are getting these prolonged periods of no rain and very hot weather is that we are changing the climate. We all have to do more to rescue our wildlife and start really taking climate change seriously," Dr Blanch said.

Wetlands CEO, Dr Stuart Blanch & Hunter Water Managing
Director, Jim Bentley. Picture supplied.

Shoal Bay Beach Closures

by MATT JOHNSTON

Swimmers on the Tomaree Peninsula are warned that Shoal Bay Beach is currently closed. A storm-water drain was blocked, which caused a waste-water to spill into the ocean.

NSW Health and the Environmental Protection Authority were notified, later putting up no swim signs. Environmental officers are on site monitoring the situation.

Hunter Water has since stopped the backup of waste-water, meaning conditions should start to improve before too long.

As of yet, there is no information on when the beach will re-open.

Photo - VisitNSW

Elermore Vale Residents Describe The Frightening Ordeal As Their Homes Are Flooded

BY IAN CROUCH

Hunter Water is working with Elermore Vale residents to help get them back in their homes after more than a dozen townhouses were inundated by a torrent of water early Friday morning.

About 15 villas in a townhouse complex on Taurus Street were swamped by a metre of water when a 50 millimetre water main burst just before 4.00am.

The force of the waist-high water smashed a window in one of the units, with one resident describing being woken by a loud bang before rushing to help her neighbours with young babies to flee their homes.

Hunter Water says the same unit block flooded in 2010 when a water main burst and they'll be carrying out an examination of the system to see what can be done to prevent breaks in the future.

Water Inundates Homes In Taurus Street. Picture Triple M

The Torrent Of Water Sweeps Through One Of The Units Picture: Triple M

Windows Blow Out As A Torrent Of Water Inundates Townhouses At Elermore Vale

BY IAN CROUCH

Residents of a group of townhouses at Elermore Vale have been woken by a torrent of water flooding their homes.

A water main burst just before 4.00am on Friday.

Windows blew out as thousands of litres of water inundated 12 villas in Taurus Street and Aries Way.

A woman in one of the townhouses could be heard calling out for help - it's understood she's been rescued.

Several residents were evacuated but thankfully, no-one's been injured.

Emergency services are still at the scene - Hunter Water crews have managed to shut off the water.

Hunter Water cops a hefty fine

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Hunter Water has copped a $15,000 fine after they were found to have leaks and poor maintenance at their Dungog Water Treatment Plant.

The Dungog plant treats water from the Chichester Dam.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) issued the fine after a site inspection in May when officers uncovered several pipes suffering from contamination build up and corrosion. They say some leaks if left unchecked, could potentially flow into the stormwater system.

It's the second time Hunter Water has been found to have poor maintenance practices - the EPA also fined them last year when heavily chlorinated water leaked into a local creek because of a faulty pump at the Dungog site. Hunter Water did plead guilty to the charges.

It was determined that poor maintenance practices had led to that particular incident. In the end, the fines and court costs imposed on the company for the offences totalled more than a quarter of a million dollars.

EPA Director Karen Marler says it was disappointing to see inadequacies in maintenance practices this year, given the previous prosecution taken by the EPA.

Image nbnnews.com.au

Traffic troubles on Newcastle Road

BY IAN CROUCH

There are major delays for city-bound traffic on Newcastle Road at Lambton.

Workers undertaking roadworks overnight accidentally hit a water main.

A repair crew from Hunter Water is carrying out emergency work, which has closed one eastbound lane on Newcastle Road.

If all goes according to plan, they hope to have the problem fixed by around 9:30am.

Burst Water Main Cuts Supply To Newcastle's Western Suburbs

BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT and IAN CROUCH

Hunter Water says a third party working near the Wallsend Bunnings Warehouse burst the underwater water main that connects to home in Fletcher and surrounding suburbs.

The bust was causing significant water pressure problems to the western suburbs of Newcastle.

The utility's spokesperson, Nick Kaiser, said service crews were at work to get pressure back to normal.

He said areas that were at higher elevation levels will not have their water pressure return to normal until Thursday evening, while low-lying areas were connected earlier in the afternoon.

While the main was repaired, Hunter Water was providing residents with fresh water free of charge to take home.

Pressure very slowly coming back 2 Fletcher area. Supply coming thru smaller main while break is repaired. Tricky repair as it's under water pic.twitter.com/q839Pcrb2i

— Hunter Water (@HunterWater) March 22, 2017

"Hunter Water sincerely apologises to all of those residents that are affected and we're working as hard as we can to get water back to them as soon as possible," Mr Kaiser said.

Original Story Follows:

Thousands of homes in Newcastle's western suburbs are without water due to a damaged water main.

Workers digging near the Bunnings outlet on Minmi Road accidentally hit the main water supply line to Fletcher, Maryland, Minmi and Black Hill.

Hunter Water crews are trying to fix the problem but it's not clear yet how long it will take.

Chichester Dam Overflow

BY RACHEL STORER

Chichester Dam supplies water to the Lower Hunter. Image: theherald.com.au 

After a very wet weekend in the Hunter, Chichester Dam, north of Dungog has overflowed.

The spill caused minor flooding in the area with no considerable damage.

After an extremely hot, dry summer the dam saw no increase in levels for 109 days.

The first day of Autumn saw the first bump to levels and there have been consistent rises since.

Nick Kaiser, from Hunter Water, said that Chichester dam rose from 65% capacity to 100% in just three days.

"It's been absolutely pouring buckets up around the catchment, which might not be good news for picnickers, but is great news for our dam levels," he said.

"The consistent rain has boosted our storage and now our total water storage, which is Grahamstown Dam and Chichester Dam, are currently at 82 percent."

Mr Kaiser says that Chichester is designed to spill and that the rain forecasted this week shouldn't cause any risk of flooding.

"There's no risk. More of that water is going to go back down and flow into the rivers. The good news is that we'll have more water flowing into the Williams River which we can then pump into Grahamstown Dam," he said.

Compost facility near dam approved with conditions

BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT

A controversial compost plant in the Lower Hunter has been approved, as long as it abides by strict restrictions and regulations.

The Land and Environment Court approved the Gardenland composting site, which operates near Seven Mile Creek on Wednesday.

A compost plant will operate near Grahamstown Dam [Picture: Hunter Water].

Seven Mile Creek is a feeder into the Grahamstown Dam, a major source of drinking water for much of the Hunter.

Environment Protection Authority composting expert Anthony Dixon told the Court the facility would be required to adopt a higher standard than the current minimum composting guidelines.

Hunter Water manages the region's dams - including Grahamstown Dam, which provides 40 per cent of the area's water - and are pleased with the new regulations.

"Some of these [regulations] are quite arduous so there's a lot that needs to be done at this business before it is able to operate," Hunter Water spokesperson Nick Kaiser said.

"It's something that we're very pleased about here at Hunter Water because it means better protection of the Grahamstown Dam."

Mr Kaiser said Hunter Water worked closely with the EPA in developing the restrictions and will continue to do so.

"The composting operation near Grahamstown Dam will be regularly inspected by the EPA," he said

"As part of the regulation and as part of the ruling by the Land and Environment Court, they [Gardenlands] will be subject to strict supervision."

The compost facility will operate nearby Seven Mile Creek, which feeds into the Grahamstown Dam and its water quality has already been questioned before the facility.

But, Mr Kaiser said it would unreasonable to consider closing or blocking the creek.

"Closing down the creek, or trying to block the creek in any way, would not make environmental sense," he said.

He said there would be issues with "flooding upstream" as well as not enough water coming into the Dam.

"What's a much more viable solution is to better manage the catchment around the area, such as with regulations around the development of the area."

Hunter's Water Usage down to Great Depression Levels

BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT

The Lower Hunter are using less water now than it did during the Great Depression, new figures from Hunter Water show.

The average resident now uses roughly 65,000 litres of water per annum, compared to 66,000 litres in 1930.

Hunter Water has put the drop down to their Water Wise Rules, which has seen the average water usage fall by 5,000 litres since 2014.

The Rules see residents asked to have a trigger nozzle attached to their hose, as well as asking them not to water their grass between 10am and 4pm.

Those who are found to have repeatedly broken the rules face a fine of up to $220.

Nick Kaiser from Hunter Water says today's Hunter residents are also more knowledgeable about water saving than they were in the 1980s.

"It was in the 1980s that you started getting those 'every drop counts' campaigns," he says.

"But also what was important in the 1980s is that there was a new tariff system."

The new system made each resident pay different amounts for their water, depending on how much they used.

"People tend to use less when they have to pay for it," he says.

The Hunter saw its largest water usage in 1980 when it was recorded that each person was using more than 244,000 litres per year.

Nick Kaiser has put the spike down to drought conditions.

"People were using more to keep their lawns and gardens alive," he says.

"That tends to be one of the largest contributing factors to how much water people would use in a year

"Also since the 1980s, we've got more high-density living, people have smaller yards and are more inclined to live in apartments."

Firefighting Chemical Detected Outside Williamtown Red Zone

BY IAN CROUCH

 The firefighting chemical PFOS at the centre of the Williamtown RAAF Base contamination scandal has been found well outside the so-called red zone.

It was detected in the bore water of a chicken farm at Campvale, while traces were found in a pumping station which feeds into Grahamstown Dam.

Hunter Water says the amount of chemical detected is the equivalent of an eye drop of PFOS to an OIympic size swimming pool of drinking water.

However, Jeremy Bath from Hunter Water says the chemical didn't come from the RAAF Base and insists our drinking water is safe.

"PFOS is a product that is used throughout the community in a variety of products like pizza boxes, shower curtains, furniture, clothing - it's used throughout the home, so to detect PFOS in stormwater in Campvale Canal is not surprising at all and is of absolutely of no impact on Hunter Water's town water," he said

Jeremy Bath

New Campaign Against Flushable Wipes

BY IAN CROUCH

Hunter Water has launched a campaign to inform consumers wet wipes marketed as flushable are actually causing major problems for the sewerage system.

Advertisements will be placed on toilet doors in cafes, pubs and shopping centres around the Hunter to inform consumers flushable wet wipes actually cause sewer blockages..

Wet-wipes don't break down like toilet paper, instead they mix with fats and oils to create blockages which are time consuming, dirty and expensive to clean up, such as the enormous 1 tonne lump of wet wipes pulled from the sewer at Eleebana in February.

A Crane Removes A Massive Wet Wipe Blockage