Running out of water in "The 'Curry"

Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Location: In the Goatshed in Melbourne

How about an Outers water run for the Barnseys? Very Happy

Mayor tells residents to drink from mine pits

By Trent Dalton

August 25, 2008 12:01am
Article from: The Courier-Mail

THE Mayor of Cloncurry has devised an emergency water plan for the western Queensland town's 5500 residents living on tap water he describes as "certain to give you a dose of diarrhoea".

With the town's dam at less than 2 per cent capacity and residents being forced to buy or boil drinking water, Mayor Andrew Daniels has resorted to a plan that involves carting in water collected in abandoned mine pits.

"We've tried two mine pits," Cr Daniels said. "One had a high content of sulphate so it is unfit for human consumption, but we've found another pit which has potable water.

"There's only about 90 megs of water in that. We're working out how to get it from point A to point B."

Continuous dry weather and a resource-driven population boom has driven Cloncurry's water crisis to panic point.

In 10 or 12 weeks, says Cr Daniels, the town water - a mix of dam, river, well and bore water which locals say can "strip the paint from a car" - may not be fit even for showering.

Cr Daniels said some residents were not bathing during the working week while some Cloncurry homes are being built without kitchens to minimise water use.

Meanwhile, in the Aboriginal community of Dajarra, 25km from Cloncurry, some residents are said to be drinking the untreated and unboiled water Cr Daniels describes as "potent" and "unfit for human consumption".

Cr Daniels said: "All I can say is that we've taken steps to put drinking water in place which should have been done years ago.

"I would say there probably are some people drinking it. If they are, I hope they're looking after their health."

In the streets of Cloncurry, red dirt spreads where gardens once grew.

In Seymour St, 66-year-old Fely Bellchambers has abandoned her once - flourishing garden in favour of nursing one plant - a decrepit and infrequently green native.

"We've always struggled with water, but it's never been as bad as this," she said.

Frustrated locals are now calling on Cr Daniels to deliver on his election promise of solving the water crisis within 60 days.

Cr Daniels refused to contemplate a worst-case scenario for Cloncurry, hinging his hopes on the problem-solving abilities of the State Government.

"We've been promised by the Premier that Cloncurry is not going to run out of water," he said.

Premier Anna Bligh said the State Government would work with Cloncurry council to solve the water crisis.

"We are not going to let this town run out of water but there is not an easy silver bullet."

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24233199-1248,00.html

Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Location: Melbourne

How the fark does a State Government let it get to a point that it's that bad. Did know one notice the dam was looking a tad empty?

Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Location: In the Goatshed in Melbourne

It happened "overnight". Word is Barnsey has set up his new homebrew kit armsup

Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Location: western shitney

AJFeroza wrote:

It happened "overnight". Word is Barnsey has set up his new homebrew kit armsup

Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Location: North West Qld

There's about 100 errors in that article.

Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Location: In the Goatshed in Melbourne

Barnsey wrote:

There's about 100 errors in that article.

Nah!!! It's from Murdoch Inc. Media. What POSSIBLY could be inaccurate in a piece by such a fine media stable? Laughing

Joined: 07 Aug 2003 Location: Townsville

AJFeroza wrote:

Barnsey wrote:

There's about 100 errors in that article.

Nah!!! It's from Murdoch Inc. Media. What POSSIBLY could be inaccurate in a piece by such a fine media stable? Laughing

Newscorp have been making news (up) for years..........

Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Location: forest lake brisbane

It's MissFourbys fault

Joined: 15 Nov 2002 Location: Driving my GU in Melbourne

Fely Bellchambers hasn't been 66 for a few years now Very Happy

Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Location: North West Qld

Quote:

Cr Daniels said some residents were not bathing during the working week while some Cloncurry homes are being built without kitchens to minimise water use.

Once again, the outback humour escapes the "city folk"

Joined: 15 Nov 2002 Location: Driving my GU in Melbourne

I saw that bit and thought surely they meant being built without bathrooms because how much water does baked beans in the microwave use? Very Happy

Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Location: North West Qld

I'm home now, and have time to ridicule this pathetic journalism

AJFeroza wrote:

How about an Outers water run for the Barnseys? Very Happy

Mayor tells residents to drink from mine pits No he didn't

By Trent Dalton You're a turkey Trent

August 25, 2008 12:01am
Article from: The Courier-Mail

THE Mayor of Cloncurry has devised an emergency water plan for the western Queensland town's 5500 residents living on tap water he describes as "certain to give you a dose of diarrhoea".

It doesn't

With the town's dam at less than 2 per cent capacity and residents being forced to buy or boil drinking water, Mayor Andrew Daniels has resorted to a plan that involves carting in water collected in abandoned mine pits.

"We've tried two mine pits," Cr Daniels said. "One had a high content of sulphate so it is unfit for human consumption, but we've found another pit which has potable water.

"There's only about 90 megs of water in that. We're working out how to get it from point A to point B."

Continuous dry weather and a resource-driven population boom has driven Cloncurry's water crisis to panic point.

Crap. The mines don't use the local water supply.

In 10 or 12 weeks, says Cr Daniels, the town water - a mix of dam, river, well and bore water which locals say can "strip the paint from a car" - may not be fit even for showering.

So it has cautic acid in it? Rolling Eyes

I think you missed Andrew's joke

Cr Daniels said some residents were not bathing during the working week while some Cloncurry homes are being built without kitchens to minimise water use.

Journalist from city totally owned! He printed this! #Rofl

Meanwhile, in the Aboriginal community of Dajarra, 25km from Cloncurry, some residents are said to be drinking the untreated and unboiled water Cr Daniels describes as "potent" and "unfit for human consumption". Rolling Eyes

Cr Daniels said: "All I can say is that we've taken steps to put drinking water in place which should have been done years ago.

"I would say there probably are some people drinking it. If they are, I hope they're looking after their health." Laughing

(Cloncurry joke Wink

)

In the streets of Cloncurry, red dirt spreads where gardens once grew. #Rofl

Yep, we're garden central Rolling Eyes

In Seymour St, 66-year-old Fely Bellchambers has abandoned her once - flourishing garden in favour of nursing one plant - a decrepit and infrequently green native. She also has dementia?

Oh come on!

"We've always struggled with water, but it's never been as bad as this," she said.

Frustrated locals are now calling on Cr Daniels to deliver on his election promise of solving the water crisis within 60 days. WTF?

Cr Daniels refused to contemplate a worst-case scenario for Cloncurry, hinging his hopes on the problem-solving abilities of the State Government. <sarcasm>?

Where the bit about the mine diverting it's water to the town?

"We've been promised by the Premier that Cloncurry is not going to run out of water," he said. <sarcasm >

Premier Anna Bligh said the State Government would work with Cloncurry council to solve the water crisis.

"We are not going to let this town run out of water but there is not an easy silver bullet."

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24233199-1248,00.html

Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Location: western shitney

Barnsey wrote:

Continuous dry weather and a resource-driven population boom has driven Cloncurry's water crisis to panic point.

Crap. The mines don't use the local water supply.

i thought that at first, but i think it means the extra people coming to town to work will use up more water than the dam can handle

Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Location: Adelaide

Barnsey wrote:

In 10 or 12 weeks, says Cr Daniels, the town water - a mix of dam, river, well and bore water which locals say can "strip the paint from a car" - may not be fit even for showering.

So it has cautic acid in it? Rolling Eyes

Pedant alert! Razz

"Caustic" (which is what I presume was meant) is often used to mean "corrosive", but caustic means alkaline, having a high pH. Acid has low pH. Caustic acid is an oxymoron (like Military Intellgence, or Responsible Government, or Microsoft Works) as a substance can't have both a low pH and a high pH.

Caustic or acid, it's probably corrosive, and I wouldn't want it on my car's paint. But then, I wouldn't want Bundy on my paint, either. Smile

I really should go to bed...

Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Location: North West Qld

Family leaves dry Cloncurry

EMILY MACDONALD

August 30th, 2008

WHEN the Townsville Bulletin arrived in their front yard, the Chandler-Ashe family were packing up their house and preparing to move away from Cloncurry.

As Brittany, 12, and Jack, 9, shuffled around in the thick red dirt that used to be their front yard, their parents loaded up the car while the neighbours looked on.

While the water shortage was not the reason for the family's move to Bluff near Rockhampton, mum Constance said it would provide a welcome relief.

``The water is really harsh on your skin and a lot of people have had a reaction to it like dermatitis,'' Mrs Chandler-Ashe said.

``You wouldn't dare try to drink it now or you'd be very sick.''

Dad Vince said like Mayor Andrew Daniels he too would have liked to see a pipeline built from Lake Julius.

"Most people just want to know why it's been left so long.

"Some people still aren't taking this seriously enough though. I've seen people watering their gardens and just ignoring the water restrictions."

Neighbours Gary Beevers and Lisa Pickett and twins Tyler and Kiel Pickett, 6, have also been suffering from the lack of water.

"The dust has been getting into our computers, DVDs, TV and everything and they're all starting to play up," Ms Pickett said.

"There's nothing anyone can do about the lack of rain but if we had some water to put on our lawn it might at least settle the dust.

"I think they've just let it get as bad as this because they're hanging on for the Federal Government to come in and bail them out."

Ms Pickett said it was the kids she felt the most sorry for, especially as temperatures were creeping above 30C.

"There's no way anyone could have a swimming pool or let the kids play under the hose."

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2008/08/30/15831_hpnews.html

Joined: 16 May 2004 Location: NTH QLD

Qld Rail has put the water tankers back into service on Friday and will start running water out of Townsville to the Curry to help out a little.

Joined: 11 Dec 2002 Location: Central Queensland

Well, it sounds like Mr or Mrs Chandler-Ashe has got a transfer within QR to drive coal trains instead of freighters.

And surprisingly, I used to be Gary Beevers supervisor in our old jobs. That will be him on the left, in the light blue T shirt. Big bugger he is.

Cloncurry hasnt always had a lack of water problem, with a large flood hitting town a few years ago, higher than anything the locals could remember in recent times.

And no matter how straight the crow flew, its no where near 25km from The Curry to Dajarra. The journo almost forgot a zero at the end.

Hmmmm, red dirt in the Curry, I cant believe that.

And does the temperature ever creep below 30 degrees out there?

Twit city journos.