Uralla Shire Mayor Mick Pearce and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall.
Friday, 21 February 2020
NORTHERN Tablelands MP Adam Marshall has today backed a plan put forward by Uralla Shire Council to address arsenic contamination in the town’s water supply stating he is already working to secure emergency funding from the State Government to put the $835,000 strategy into immediate action.
Council’s Acting General Manager David Aber wrote to Mr Marshall yesterday afternoon to request financial support for its proposal to remove the arsenic and prevent future contamination.
“This issue has been going on way too long to the point where it’s having a damaging impact on Uralla’s economy and the wellbeing of residents,” Mr Marshall said.
“Council has been working with State Government engineers on a solution and now plans to modify its water treatment works so Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) can be added into the existing sand filter, addressing the organic arsenic problem.
“The government will continue to cover the total cost of trucking bottled water into Uralla until such times as the plant is producing potable water which meets health standards.
“It’s a huge relief that I have finally been able to present a fully costed proposal to the Water Minster for consideration and hopefully it won’t be long before funding is released, the work undertaken and the community can put this terrible ordeal behind it.”
Mr Marshall said as part of its funding request council also wanted to investigate longer-term water security measures for the town.
“While arsenic has been one problem for Uralla the second bigger issue is finding a way to secure its long term water security,” he said.
“Before the Kentucky Creek storage spilled this week the dam was down to 29 percent, with the town facing the serious risk of running dry by the middle of this year.
“Whether it’s locating and putting down bores or raising the wall of Kentucky Creek dam to increase storage capacity council must take steps now to prepare for the next inevitable dry time.
“I’ll continue to work with council and the community and provide all the support I can to rectify the current situation and address Uralla’s long-term water security needs.”