Armidale Regional Council Mayor Simon Murray thinks over-consumption of water in Guyra, and the effect it will have on those living there is grim if water runs out, but he said council had taken steps to ease the situation.
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"The problem we have is that the dam levels are, I think, at 25 per cent or even less as we speak, and dropping pretty rapidly," he said.
Cr Murray stressed the need to limit water consumption within households, especially as the pipeline from Armidale to Guyra is not due to have finished construction and be operational until August 15. At the current rate of water consumption Guyra will have ran out of water before the pipe is built.
"What the bigger problem is, as it drops down the water quality actually deteriorates, and the water quality that has to be then treated is getting worse and worse so it makes the treatment process hard.
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"We're still waiting on the state Government to come through with funding, because we are looking at the option of trucking water up to Guyra. All the planning is done, for doing it. We just haven't had that signature on the piece of paper."
Cr Murray said any water transportation to Guyra would need to use large water mains in Armidale.
"Staff have identified streets where the large mains are, so we can tap into those. We need the large mains to be able to quickly fill the trucks," he said.
"We're already thinking it should take 45 minutes to fill a truck, and were talking about a 40,000 litre truck,"
"When it gets to Guyra they're going to go the treatment plant... And they just have hoses they'll put straight into a big tank underground. The tank is on the outlet side of the water treatment plant. So, they just open the valves up, let the water run, again they think it's about 45 minutes to unload so that then will be pumped up to the reservoir."
Cr Mayor Murray said that there was always the risk of Malpas dam running dry.
"That's why we are really trying to get the community on board now."
"I've seen one long range weather prediction that suggests we won't have decent rainfall until 2023... That's one prediction- but what I'm saying is as a council we've got a responsibility to try and extend it now."
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