When Clarence Valley Council tries to ignore the elephant in the room and local media with the best of intentions doesn't even see that enormous pachyderm

For reasons best known to itself, Clarence Valley Council administration has not publicly dotted the "i"s and crossed the "t"s for elected councillors and the Clarence Valley resident population when it comes to root causes of increased water turbidity and poor quality drinking water.

It's all about dirt. The deep soils and topsoils which cover and strengthen the rocks which hold Clarence River Basin mountains, hills and slopes in place; soils which are building blocks for both vegetation & biodiversity growth; soils which allow arable farming on valley floors big and small - including on the identified Clarence River floodplain.

The connection between clear-felled land, disturbed soils caused by mining, state-owned & private forestry, land laid bare by largescale wildfires, sloping land eroded by rain bombs, river banks scoured by record flooding, waterways thick with suspended soil particles and, a decline in water quality, is there for all to see. 

As is the poor stewardship of the NSW Government - which is supposed to ensure healthy waterways - but whose actions in allowing inappropriate levels of native vegetation removal, poorly monitoring mining exploration activity and its own continuous native timber forestry in sensitive catchments & sub-catchments is contributing to turbidity issues in north-east New South Wales.

It appear that absolutely no-one in the Perrottet Coalition Government is looking to address the root cause of water turbidity and erratic urban water quality. 

There appears to be a political blindness in 2023 to the following:

(i) the 2019-20 megafires started a process of exposing soils over wide areas of what had been closed and open forests in the Northern Rivers region;

 (ii) the further clearing of some of those fire grounds for retrievable native timber exacerbated this process; 

(iii) in 2022-23 the sensitivity and environmental risk associated with these forests is recognised as a continuing issue by the NSW Environmental Protection Agency - especially in areas where commercial native timber forestry is still occurring;

(iv) the 2022 extreme flooding increased the rate at which destabilised and/or degraded soils, particularly the exposed dispersive soils which create high levels of turbidity, made their way into streams, creeks, rivers and major waterways; and

(v) riverine landscapes do not have an infinite ability to withstand population pressure coupled with an increase in the frequency of natural or climate-induced disasters. The resilience Clarence River Basin waterways have demonstrated in the past does not guarantee their future capacity to experience recurrent disturbances while retaining essential function, structures and feedbacks.

A filtration plant may be advisable for urban water supplies, but it won't keep Clarence Valley waterways healthy, alive with biodiverse aquatic ecosystems and productive.

Ecotourism, water-based activity tourism and freshwater recreational fishing tourism, as well as the lucrative local wild-caught prawn industry, depend on healthy rivers. Rivers that are not just healthy but that can be seen to be healthy.

Examples of river and creek turbidity in the Clarence River catchment, 2022. IMAGES: The Daily Telegraph (top) Clarence Environment Centre (bottom) 

Clarence Valley Independent, 1 March 2023:

Future filtration for Valley water

Filtration of the Clarence Valley’s drinking water supply is again back on the agenda following this months Level Four severe water restrictions which lasted 11 days.

The Rushforth Road Water Treatment Plant RRWTP masterplan, which aims to replace the existing reservoir without impacting future construction of a filtration plant, is on the agenda at the February 28 Clarence Valley Council CVC meeting.

Prepared for council by consultant Beca H2O, the masterplan includes the replacement of the existing 32 megalitre reservoir, which is included in CVC’s 2022/2023 Operational Plan, and for future construction of filtration.

“It is recommended that Council progress the Masterplan by commencing the planning approval process for a future filtration plant at Rushforth Road Water Treatment Plant,” council papers state.

Council staff recommend councillors note the masterplan and commence the planning approval process for future construction of a filtration plant by calling open tenders to undertake an Environmental Impact Statement.

CVC first adopted a Drinking Water Management System DWMS at its August 19, 2014 meeting and an updated DWMS was adopted at the May 2020 meeting.

Up until the 1990s, drinking water was extracted regardless of turbidity, then in the early 1990s selective extraction was introduced to improve water quality when turbidity was below 10 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU).

Councils 2014 DWMS saw the turbidity level drop to 5 NTU, then the May 2020 DWMS further dropped the turbidity level to 3.5 NTU.

Currently, CVC water supplies are disinfected at Rushforth Road “by chloramination (adding ammonia to chlorine) as this provides the most stable disinfectant in lengthy pipeline systems because chloramines decay at a lower rate than free chlorine,” council papers state.

Tenders have been called for stage one of the masterplan which will see a 1.5 ML Chlorine Contact Tank and a 16ML Treated Water Storage Tank installed at the RRWTP, estimated to cost $14.7 million in October 2021.

“The provision of a Chlorine Contact Tank will allow the primary disinfection at Rushforth Road by free chlorination while, by adding ammonia after the contact tank, continue to provide for a chloramine residual in the lengthy pipeline network,” council papers state.

Stage two of the masterplan is the conceptual design for filtration to be constructed at the RRWTP and is estimated to cost $63.8 million, with an annual operating cost of $2.1 million.

“The Masterplan has confirmed that gravity flow through the plant is feasible, and all elements of the plant have been conceptually located so that the current plant (with the addition of the chlorine contact tank) can continue to operate during construction,” council papers state.

“Due to its construction cost the filtration plant is classified as State Significant Development, and therefore needs planning approval via an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

“It is recommended that Council commence the approval process for a future filtration plant by calling tenders to undertake an EIS.”

The last time council considered filtration at its April 15, 2014 meeting it was estimated the construction and operation of a filtration plant would add $275 annually to the typical residential bill.

“The drinking water risk is not assessed by the State Government as being high enough for funding assistance under the current Safe and Secure Water Program,” council papers state.

“The Rushforth Road water treatment has been allocated a risk score of “4”, while the program funding is currently only sufficient to provide assistance for projects with a risk score of “5”.”

Due to this situation, it is likely that CVC will require loans to fund the water filtration project.

 

Clarence Valley-wide Level 4 Water Restrictions are in place on town water supplies until further notice

 

Clarence Valley Council, 31 January 2023:

Immediate Level 4 (Severe) Water Restrictions

Due to a prolonged dirty water event in the Nymboida River, immediate Level 4 (Severe) Water Restrictions have been introduced in order to avoid the need to call a Boil Water Alert for the whole Clarence Valley water supply system. This does NOT include Minnie Water and Wooli residents.

The Boil Water Alert for Coutts Crossing remains in place…..

Wednesday 1 February 2023 update

What we know

◾ Coutts Crossing is on a boil water alert.

◾ Level 4 restrictions are in place for all town water customers across the Valley.

◾ The return flow from Coffs Harbour was interrupted late last year following a fire at Karangi Dam, and reliance on the water supply was switched to the Nymboida River.

◾ Replenishing water supply has been impacted by dirty water at the Nymboida River intake following rain events.

◾ Daily consumption over the past week has been the highest on record, and stored treated water is quickly depleting.

◾ Since the March 2022 rainfall event, the water in Shannon Creek Dam has been too dirty to use. This is thought to be due to impacts from the 2019 bushfires. 

Clarence Valley Independent, 2 February 2023:

Residents across the Clarence Valley are being asked to restrict town water consumption in line with Level 4 (Severe) Water Restrictions to avoid an LGA-wide boil water alert.

Currently, only residents in Coutts Crossing are affected by the boil water alert.

This is due to the village’s storage having to be topped up directly from the Nymboida River which had elevated levels of turbidity that exceeded the NSW Health levels for drinking water.

Clarence Valley Council (CVC) General Manager Laura Black said over the past week, the water supply has experienced the highest daily consumption levels in several years which has triggered greater concern over the capacity of stored water supply.

“If we are forced to continue to supply the higher demand, we will need to draw dirty water into the system which may trigger the need for an LGA-wide boil water alert,” she said.

The situation has arisen because the water in the Nymboida River has a high turbidity level (dirty) following recent rain events, which impacts council’s ability to draw water directly from that source.

High turbidity has been experienced in the Shannon Creek Dam since the 2019 bushfires, exacerbated by the subsequent floods, restricting council’s use of that source also.

Until late last year, Clarence Valley water storage was being supplemented by accessing a return flow from Karangi Dam in Coffs Harbour.

However, things changed late last year when Coffs Harbour Council advised, due to damage to a switchboard, it could no longer provide the Clarence Valley with return flow, leaving the Nymboida River as the only drinking water source.

In response CVC approved the implementation of a number projects including:

· Construction of settling pond at Rushforth Road Water Treatment Plant (RRWTP), which will enable the drawing of water from the Nymboida River and/or Shannon Creek Dam when turbidity is higher than is currently acceptable.

· Hire and installation of filtration units in the villages of Coutts Crossing and Glenreagh, both of which are affected by the raw water supply to Coffs Harbour.

These activities were commenced prior to Christmas and are nearing completion (weather permitting).

“Over the Christmas and summer period daily consumption, dirty water levels at the intake, and stored and treated water levels have been monitored around the clock to mitigate risk of water restrictions and a boil water alert with the assistance of the NSW Departments of Planning, Industry and Environment and Health staff,” Ms Black said.

In other positive news, recommencement of the return flow of water from Coffs Harbour was negotiated this week.

This, coupled with the works already in train at RRWTP, Coutts Crossing and Glenreagh, is indicative of Council moving quickly to respond and resolve the current situation while causing the least amount of inconvenience to residents.

CVC Mayor Ian Tiley said the governing body has been kept abreast of the situation since it changed last year, and is appreciative of the staff effort to manage the situation and avoid water restrictions or boil water alerts over the Christmas period.

“Staff are monitoring the turbidity at the Nymboida River intake and as soon as it is safe to do so will draw more water into the system,” he said.

“I am confident the inconvenience will be short-lived.”

In the meantime, residents are asked to be patient and abide by the water restrictions.

Around the traps on the Northern Rivers in November 2022

 

Clarence Valley Independent, 2 November 2022:

Yamba’s primary water supply switched

A hydrographic survey has been completed along the riverbank from the northern edge of Maclean to the Harwood Bridge to assess the risk of riverbank erosion affecting the water mains servicing Yamba.

Water mains run along both sides of Yamba Road, and Council has switched its main supply to the less vulnerable pipeline on the inland side of the road.

The pipeline on the river side will continue to be maintained as a back-up.

NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), media release, 2 November 2022:

Northern Rivers residents and small businesses will be able to access flood support with a new NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) program supporting the management of contaminated lands following the devastating floods in early 2022.

NSW EPA Chief Executive Officer Tony Chappel announced the new program in Lismore and said the EPA is committed to doing all it can to help the region recover.

“Our role at the EPA is to protect the community and environment, and this program is about ensuring contaminated land is addressed so people have peace of mind about their land,” Mr Chappel said.

“I cannot begin to imagine how hard it has been for the community to return home after the flooding only to face a painstaking clean-up.

“We want to give Northern Rivers communities who have made that extraordinary effort the certainty that the land they live on is healthy and safe.

“This program will provide free, independent assessments for eligible properties, which will reveal if soils have been contaminated.

“If a property is deemed to be contaminated, we will also provide landholder assistance in cleaning-up soils and returning the environment to the best state possible.

“I want to thank all our EPA officers who have been working with other agencies to remove waste and debris from across the region.

“The volumes have been enormous and in the past week alone, we have removed 261 cubic metres of debris from our waterways, equal to that of three semi-trailer trucks.

The funding will also support the seven eligible councils (Lismore, Richmond Valley, Ballina, Kyogle, Tweed, Byron, Clarence) to assess any flood contamination to public areas as well as providing resources to manage contamination from future natural disasters.

The NSW EPA runs a number of programs to help regions impacted by floods, with the Shoreline Clean-up Program removing more than 17,800 cubic metres of flood debris from waterways in an area extending from the Queensland border to the Illawarra.

The Flood Recovery Program for Contaminated Lands is jointly funded by the State and Commonwealth disaster recovery funding agreement (DRFA). Residents can now apply on the Service NSW website.

The EPA has also launched an interactive visual flood debris map which demonstrates the scale and scope of the clean-up effort, as well as sharing stories from the community and EPA officers.