SCONE AND MURRURUNDI RESIDENTS ADVISED TO BOIL WATER FOR DRINKING AND FOOD PREPARATION In Scone and Murrurundi, tap water should be brought to a rolling boil to ensure it is safe for drinking or food preparation. Water should be cooled, then stored in the fridge in a clean container with a lid. Bottled or cooled boiled water should be used for drinking, washing uncooked food (e.g. salad vegetables and fruit), making ice, cleaning teeth, gargling and pet's drinking water. Dishes should be washed in hot soapy water or in a dishwasher. Children should take bottled water or cooled, boiled water to school. What's wrong with the water? This is a precautionary measure because of high turbidity. Turbidity is the cloudiness of the water caused by the degree of individual particles in the water and higher levels gives a "milky" appearance. Turbidity is tested daily and the result for Thursday, 12 March was sent to NSW Health who advised Council on Friday evening to issue the Boil Water Alert. On Saturday morning over 2,800 notices about the Boil Water Alert were delivered to affected households and businesses. Why did it happen? Scone's water (which has also been trucked to Murrurundi) comes from Glenbawn Dam via a pipeline and a raw water offtake. WaterNSW controls the level of the offtake in order to maximise water quality and Council treats the water with chlorine. After February rainfall, algae was detected in the dam and WaterNSW began taking water from lower in the dam. As a result, over a few weeks the turbidity has slowly increased within the Scone reservoirs and reticulation system. Council continues to test water quality and the Boil Water Alert will remain in place to reduce ongoing risk while turbidity remains high. More information is available at upperhunter.nsw.gov.au or phone 6540 1100 UPPER HUNTER SHIRE COUNCIL UPPERHUNTER.NSW.GOV.AU SCONE AND MURRURUNDI RESIDENTS ADVISED TO BOIL WATER FOR DRINKING AND FOOD PREPARATION In Scone and Murrurundi, tap water should be brought to a rolling boil to ensure it is safe for drinking or food preparation. Water should be cooled, then stored in the fridge in a clean container with a lid. Bottled or cooled boiled water should be used for drinking, washing uncooked food (e.g. salad vegetables and fruit), making ice, cleaning teeth, gargling and pet's drinking water. Dishes should be washed in hot soapy water or in a dishwasher. Children should take bottled water or cooled, boiled water to school. What's wrong with the water? This is a precautionary measure because of high turbidity. Turbidity is the cloudiness of the water caused by the degree of individual particles in the water and higher levels gives a "milky" appearance. Turbidity is tested daily and the result for Thursday, 12 March was sent to NSW Health who advised Council on Friday evening to issue the Boil Water Alert. On Saturday morning over 2,800 notices about the Boil Water Alert were delivered to affected households and businesses. Why did it happen? Scone's water (which has also been trucked to Murrurundi) comes from Glenbawn Dam via a pipeline and a raw water offtake. WaterNSW controls the level of the offtake in order to maximise water quality and Council treats the water with chlorine. After February rainfall, algae was detected in the dam and WaterNSW began taking water from lower in the dam. As a result, over a few weeks the turbidity has slowly increased within the Scone reservoirs and reticulation system. Council continues to test water quality and the Boil Water Alert will remain in place to reduce ongoing risk while turbidity remains high. More information is available at upperhunter.nsw.gov.au or phone 6540 1100 UPPER HUNTER SHIRE COUNCIL UPPERHUNTER.NSW.GOV.AU