Manilla residents report brown water after water main bursts near Manilla reservoir

A large water main failed near the Manilla water reservoir on Tuesday afternoon, causing discoloured water to seep out across the entire water network.

Residents have reported brown water flowing from taps since the rupture.

A spokesperson for Tamworth Regional Council said the water colour was expected to improve within the next 24 hours, four days after the main initially burst.

The main failure resulted in a significant volume of water being released from the water supply.

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"Council water operators are currently flushing areas of the water system where discoloured water has been experienced," the spokesperson said.

In accordance with Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, the spokesperson said discoloured water is deemed an "aesthetic" standard rather than a "health" standard.

"Council undertakes routine monitoring showing water is not a health issue," they said.

Residents told the Leader they were choosing not to drink the water, opting instead for bottled, and had avoided using it to wash up.

One local said she thought council needed to make sure they were flushing all pipes and junctions throughout the town.

"You can't put beautiful clear water through dirty pipes," they said.

Advice to residents experiencing discoloured water is to run the tap for a few minutes to see if the water becomes clear.

If the water does not become clear they are urged to contact Tamworth Regional Council so operators can attend and perform main flushing.

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