A PLAN to link Curlewis into the Gunnedah town water supply is in the pipeline, with Gunnedah Shire Council likely to be looking for options to meet the cost of about $6 million.
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Mayor Owen Hasler said the link would run past housing estates along Wandobah Road, allowing residents full water pressure for the first time.
Cr Hasler said Curlewis’ water supply met the minimum standards required, but there had been complaints.
“We have tried putting bores down, but we still can’t get anything that is better quality,” he said.
Cr Hasler said the solution being considered was to extend the town water supply to Curlewis, using the opportunity to connect the Wandobah Road estates to a full supply.
The estates are connected to a restricted water supply and residents are required to have a restriction valve on their pipe which limits water pressure.
Cr Hasler said when the estates were in the early stages, some people had taken the valves off, causing problems for new houses as they were built.
“Some people were operating at full supply in the last 12 months,” he said.
“We have had three or four hundred of those blocks developed and a couple of hundred are still being built.
“Some parts of the subdivision were finding it difficult to get water.”
Cr Hasler said it had been necessary to ensure people had restriction valves in place so there was enough water to meet the needs of all residents.
He said the supply was “not a full-blown system” and that had been known from the start of development.
Cr Hasler said he believed the cost of linking Curlewis to the water supply would be about $6 million.
“The cost would be justified,” he said.
“We may look at – should the Shenhua Watermark approval come through – the VPA [voluntary planning agreement] or Resources for Regions money might become available.”
The Namoi Valley Independent put the call out on Facebook to see what people had to say about Curlewis’ water supply.
Tracey Roberts said she had her home dialysis machine at her parents’ place in Curlewis for some time.
“It would not filter the water at all,” she said.
“We needed to purchase a 10,000 litre water tank just for it to run.”
Tony Turnbull said Curlewis water killed his potplants and rusted hotwater systems.
Sacha Royboi wrote she grew up in Curlewis and has been drinking the water for 25 years.
“It’s never affected me... if you can get past the taste,” she said.
She also said her father put in a saltwater inground pool in Curlewis 15 years ago.
She said the tap water proved too salty for a saltwater pool.
“It’s a horrible tasting water and you can see the salt in it,” she said.
