It will surely be welcome news for the town, which had been on the highest level of water restrictions since February when hot, dry weather caused an algal bloom in the main storage dam and alternative water sources were required, starting with distributing bottled water and trucking water in.

Daily test results during the past few weeks have confirmed the water from the dam is now safe to drink and it is again being used as the town’s water supply, helped by recent good rainfall and pumping water into the dam from the Pages River infiltration gallery.

The town water supply is being drawn from the dam and then chlorinated, instead of coming from the Pages River. Residents should not be concerned if they have noticed a change in the taste of town water recently.

Since February the town’s water supply had been coming from the under-riverbed infiltration gallery installed in the Pages River at Boyd St and pumped 16 hours a day to a pre-treatment lagoon. It was chlorinated and then pumped to a concrete reservoir. The infrastructure for pumping out of the river will remain in place as a back-up source.

In the long term, Upper Hunter Shire Council is seeking funding for options including continuing the Scone/Aberdeen pipeline to Murrurundi. The council will also be eligible for NSW government grants to improve water treatment facilities in parts of the shire as part of the implementation of fluoridation over the next few years.

Upper Hunter Shire mayor Michael Johnsen thanked residents for their patience and council staff for their hard work during the water restrictions.