Surat (Queensland) – BOIL WATER ALERT December 18 2023/Lifted January 25 2024

18/12/23: Maranoa Regional Council advises all residents in Surat to boil their tap water used for drinking, following the high level of turbidity (dis-colouration) affecting the Surat water supply.

This alert applies today (18 December 2023) to Surat residents, and Council is working closely with Queensland Health to resolve the situation. Council is well underway flushing and testing the mains network, however test results may take several days before this alert can be lifted.

Surat (Queensland) – Trihalomethanes

4/6/18 Surat (Qld) Reticulation Trihalomethanes – 310 µg/L

26/6/18 Surat (Qld) Reticulation Trihalomethanes – 310 µg/L

Trihalomethanes Australian Guideline Level 250μg/L (0.25mg/L)

Why and how are THMs formed?
“When chlorine is added to water with organic material, such as algae, river weeds, and decaying leaves, THMs are formed. Residual chlorine molecules react with this harmless organic material to form a group of chlorinated chemical compounds, THMs. They are tasteless and odourless, but harmful and potentially toxic. The quantity of by-products formed is determined by several factors, such as the amount and type of organic material present in water, temperature, pH, chlorine dosage, contact time available for chlorine, and bromide concentration in the water. The organic matter in water mainly consists of a) humic substance, which is the organic portion of soil that remains after prolonged microbial decomposition formed by the decay of leaves, wood, and other vegetable matter; and b) fulvic acid, which is a water soluble substance of low molecular weight that is derived from humus”. Source: https://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminant