Water Supply - Tweed Shire Council
Where does our water come from?
There are three water supply networks in the Tweed Shire.
Two small networks supply the rural villages of Tyalgum and Uki, while the major network supplies Tweed Heads and surrounds, the Tweed Coast and the Murwillumbah district.
The major network draws its water from the Tweed River, upstream of the Bray Park weir. The weir acts as a tidal barrage, preventing salt water from the estuary getting in to the fresh water supply. Flows into the weir are supplemented by releases from Clarrie Hall Dam situated on Doon Doon Creek - a tributary to the Tweed River.
It is important to note that Clarrie Hall Dam is only used to supplement the town water supply. For much of the year it is natural flows in the Tweed River that supply our water. Water is only released from the dam when flows in the freshwater section of the Tweed River fall below 95%, usually during winter and spring.
These releases contribute to environmental flows in the river during the drier months of the year, with the water flowing down Doon Doon Creek and into the Tweed River upstream of Uki village. It then flows down to Bray Park Weir, where it is extracted, treated and pumped via a network of over 660km of pipes to 13 reservoirs throughout the shire.
Tweed District Water Supply Augmentation
Action 7 of the revised Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM) Strategy identifies the need to upgrade the capacity of the Tweed’s major supply system.
Within the next 25 years the population of the Tweed Shire is expected to double and the Council and the community need to act to ensure we will have enough water to satisfy demand.
Council is currently seeking advice from the community regarding the future of the Tweed’s water supply and to determine the most appropriate option to be adopted for its augmentation.
Tyalgum Water Treatment Plant (WTP) - Proposed Upgrade
Action 8 of the revised Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM) Strategy identifies the need to upgrade the Tyalgum WTP to improve the water quality delivered to the village.
The next phase of the project requires Council to prepare and call tenders for the design and construction of the facility. It is proposed that construction will commence in the 2009/10 financial year. Please download the fact sheet for further information.
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