02 6499 2222 council@begavalley.nsw.gov.au
Bega Valley Commemorative Civic Centre South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA) Bega Valley Shire Library Sapphire Aquatic Centre Sapphire Coast Tourism
Have your say

Boil water notice - Brogo-Bermagui Water Supply System

Following the recent rain within the Brogo River water supply catchment, Bega Valley Shire Council has introduced a Boil Water Notice as a precautionary measure.

Tuesday 7 June 2016

Following the recent rain within the Brogo River water supply catchment, Bega Valley Shire Council has introduced a Boil Water Notice as a precautionary measure.

The Boil Water Notice applies to townships and villages of Quaama, Cobargo, Bermagui, Beauty Point, Fairhaven, Wallaga Lake, Wallaga Lake Heights, Wallaga Lake Koori Village, Akolele and also trunk main customers in these areas from 9am on Wednesday 8 June 2016.

Council recommends that all water for consumption, food preparation, cleaning of teeth and ice making should be boiled before use. Water can then be allowed to cool and stored in a clean container with a lid and refrigerated.

Dishes should be washed in hot soapy water or in a dishwasher and children should take boiled or bottled water to school.

Jim Collins, BVSC Manager of Water and Sewerages Services, said Fine suspended solids such as clay, silt and organic matter, termed turbidity, increase in the Brogo River following catchment rainfall and increased river flow.

When this happens the river pumps are turned off to allow the first flush water in the river to pass and to maintain good quality water in the system reservoirs for as long as possible.

Ultimately though the pumps need to be restarted to ensure continued water supply.

Bega Valley Shire Council and NSW Health have been in discussions about the situation and what practical measures are necessary for recommencing supply. The Brogo-Bermagui water supply system is an unfiltered water supply system with water disinfected with chlorine only.

Advice from NSW Health Water Branch was that a boil water notice should be introduced as a precautionary measure due to the elevated turbidity in the river and lifted when river water quality improves.

Council understands the inconvenience that a boil water notice causes people. We will be working with NSW Health to lift the boil water notice as soon as possible,

Mr Collins

A water filtration plant is the long term solution.

Mr Collins

Upon the river water turbidity dropping below the level recommended by NSW Health, the boil water notice will be lifted and residents advised through local media, Council's website and Facebook page at that time.

Council encourages residents to go to the NSW Health website for more detailed information on boiled water alerts.

Please note that water supplies in all other areas of the Shire are currently unaffected.

For further information please contact Council’s Environmental Health Coordinator, Greg O’Donnell on 6499 2222.

Questions and Answers


This notice has been issued following advice from NSW Health, as a precaution, due to the Brogo River having elevated turbidity (fine suspended clay, silt and organic matter) following the recent rains, which may compromise chlorine disinfection of water supplied from the river to the Brogo-Bermagui Water Supply System. We add chlorine to the water to disinfect and will be adding additional chlorine due to the turbidity, however NSW Health also recommends all water for consumption, food preparation, cleaning of teeth and ice making be boiled before use as a precautionary measure. The Brogo-Bermagui Water Supply System is an unfiltered water supply system with water disinfected with chlorine only.

Consumption of turbid waters is not necessarily a health hazard, but may constitute a health risk if the suspended particles harbour pathogenic micro-organisms. To manage this risk we chlorinate the water as per normal treatment practice in order to achieve what is called a “chlorine residual” in the water. A chlorine residual in the water means the water continues to disinfect all the way to a customer’s tap, making it difficult for any pathogenic micro-organisms to survive in the water. However, as a precaution, you are encouraged to boil the water before drinking until further notice, in line with NSW Health advice based on the current elevated water turbidity in the river source water due to the recent rain.

The boil water notice is in place until further notice for all properties with a water connection to the Brogo-Bermagui Water Supply System. This includes properties in the towns and villages of Quaama, Cobargo, Bermagui, Beauty Point, Fairhaven, Wallaga Lake, Wallaga Lake Heights, Akolele, Wallaga Lake Koori Village and also properties with a trunk main connection to the system.

Yes it is safe to bath yourself and your children, shower and wash clothes. However dishes should be washed in hot soapy water or in a dishwasher.

A "Precautionary Boil Water Notice" is a notification issued by your Council as a preventative measure. Precautionary Boil water notices are distributed if there is a possibility of bacterial contamination in the drinking water system that could make you sick.

If you are frail or unwell, immuno-compromised, have very young children or are pregnant, you should consider taking additional precautions. For more information please visit NSW Health

Even if you have a filter on your water supply, we recommend all water coming from the tap be boiled prior to consumption, food preparation, cleaning teeth and ice making until further notice, in line with NSW Health advice based on the current elevated water turbidity in the river source water due to the recent rain.

In the short term, when catchment rainfall is anticipated to lead to an increased flow in the river, we turn off the river pumps to allow the first flush river water to pass and maintain good water quality in the supply system reservoirs for as long as possible. This was undertaken during this event for 3 days, until there was a need to recommence pumping due to the system reservoirs reaching low levels (day 4, Wednesday 8th). Additional chlorine is added upon recommencing supply from the river to ensure a chlorine residual is reached and disinfection maintained throughout the supply system. Increased monitoring is also undertaken during these times to ensure the best quality water possible is maintained.

In the longer term we need a water filtration plant near the Brogo River water source to treat and filter all water supplied. This is planned (the land has been purchased and power extended to the site) however a full water filtration plant is not scheduled for construction for a number of years (~2024) due to financial constraints. Funding from the state and/or federal government would enable the timing of a water filtration plant to be brought forward significantly. We are in regular discussions with the state and federal governments about subsidy funding for water filtration in the shire.

Our staff regularly monitor and sample water from the river and throughout the water supply system. During a boil water notice this sampling and monitoring is increased. Analysis of samples is undertaken at an independent certified water testing laboratory. Turbidity and chlorine residual monitoring results will be the key to lifting the boil water notice.

We have directly contacted and notified relevant parties, including schools, child care facilities, caravan parks and Bermagui Visitors Centre, in accordance with our management response protocol and NSW Health advice. Signage has been placed on roadways into towns and villages served by the Brogo-Bermagui Water Supply System. Media releases have been issued by radio, social media and Council’s website.

The boil water alert will remain in place as a precautionary measure until river source water quality improves and turbidity falls to an acceptably low level. The community will be notified again via radio, social media and our website when this occurs. We encourage residents to go to NSW Health website for more information on boil water notices.


Making an enquiry

All media enquiries and interview requests are coordinated by Council's Communication and Engagement team under the adopted Communications Policy. To view this policy, visit Public Policies and search 'communications'.

To submit a media enquiry or to request an interview:

Councillors

Councillors can be contacted directly for enquiries regarding decisions of the elected Council and non-operational matters. Interviews with the Mayor should be arranged through the Communication and Engagement team contact details above.

Receiving information

If you’re a journalist or media organisation that would like to receive media releases and notifications about media opportunities, please email your name, title and contact details to media@begavalley.nsw.gov.au and we will add you to our distribution list.

You can also subscribe to Bega Valley Together and Business News, Council's fortnightly e-newsletters, or follow @begavalleyshirecouncil on Facebook  and Instagram.

© Bega Valley Shire Council 2025

Our council websites

Contact Us

Follow us

Sign up for newsletters