Unitywater crews are ready to respond to any potential weather event related to Cyclone Alfred. They aim to keep water and wastewater services flowing to communities across Moreton Bay, the Sunshine Coast, and Noosa.
Unitywater Executive Manager of Customer Delivery Rhett Duncan said that while the forecast continued to change as weather experts tracked the cyclone’s movement, crews are ready to respond 24/7.
“Severe wet weather events can impact water and wastewater services, which is why Unitywater has taken measures to ensure we’re as prepared as we can be if it does track towards us or if we have a heavy rain event,” Duncan said.
“We have proactive processes in place to ensure our network and people are ready to respond safely and as quickly as possible,” he said.
“This includes rostering extra crew members this weekend and next week to prepare for any potential interruptions or repairs to the network, fuelling and checking essential equipment and ensuring the reservoir levels are high.”
“Our Control Room operators, who manage the operation of our entire water and wastewater networks, are also monitoring our network around the clock to keep an eye on the hundreds of pump stations, thousands of kilometres of pipes and our 17 wastewater treatment plants across the region.”
Unitywater encourages the community to take simple steps to prepare for service interruptions and protect their properties.
Unitywater’s checklist to be prepared:
- Ensure your contact details are up to date with Unitywater so they can contact you in an emergency. Update at any time through ‘My Account’ at www.unitywater.com
- Your house has an overflow relief gully (ORG) designed to prevent flooding with sewage. Take simple steps to make sure it’s ready for heavy rain – including making sure it’s not covered or blocked. Find out more at www.unitywater.com/check-your-org
- Avoid contact with sewage or dirty water if you spot a water leak or wastewater overflow. Call Unitywater at any time of the day or night at 1300 086 489 so crews can respond as quickly as possible.
- Power outages can also impact your water supply, so set aside 10 litres of water per person for three days’ worth of washing, bathing, and drinking in case you lose water during this weather event. Get Ready Queensland has a list of emergency kit items on its website at https://www.getready.qld.gov.au/emergencykit.
- If you lose water during a weather event, check Unitywater’s Outage Map to see if your street is listed, and find out when water is expected to be back on at www.unitywater.com/outages
Read more tips on how to prepare at www.unitywater.com/wetweather