Update: Burdekin Falls Dam visitors advised to boil drinking water

Update – Friday 12 March 2021, 3:00pm

Visitors to Burdekin Falls Dam who receive drinking water from the Burdekin Falls Dam Water Supply are advised the precautionary boil water notice has been lifted.

No further detections of coliforms were found in samples tested and Sunwater is confident there is no longer a public health concern.

Update 1 – Thursday 11 March 2021

This alert applies from Tuesday 9 March 2021 to all visitors at Burdekin Falls Dam who receive drinking water from the Burdekin Falls Dam Water Supply.

Sunwater advises all visitors to boil their tap water used for drinking following detections of thermotolerant coliforms in the water supply. Please note, Escherichia coli (E. coli) was not discovered during testing of the water.

In response to this detection, Sunwater has notified the office of the water supply regulator and Queensland Health and has taken the step of issuing this notice as a precaution to reduce the risk of potential illness. Sunwater is investigating the cause of the coliform detection and will undertake further sampling.

The boil water alert will stay in effect until Sunwater is confident there is no longer a public health concern. Regular updates will be provided.

Consuming unboiled drinking water could lead to illness, especially for vulnerable people (e.g. those who are very young, elderly or immune compromised). If you are concerned about your health contact 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84), your local doctor or local hospital and advise them of your concerns.

People should use cooled boiled water or bottled water for:

• drinking
• brushing teeth
• washing and preparing food or beverages
• preparing baby formula
• making ice
• bathing infants.

Unboiled drinking water can be used for:

• showering and bathing other than infants (but minimise water in the mouth)
• washing dishes by hand or in a dishwasher, provided dishes are air-dried
• washing clothes
• flushing toilets.

People should bring drinking water to a boil and then allow water to cool before using it or storing it in a clean, closed container for later use.

Kettles with automatic cut-off switches are suitable for producing boiled water. Variable temperature kettles should be set to boil. 

Residents are urged to share this alert with neigbours and friends. If you have any further concerns please contact the Sunwater site office on:  07 4770 3177