With the objective of helping increase the public’s understanding of the delicate water situation in Douglas Shire, Douglas Shire Council has launched a water education campaign ahead of the 2021 dry season.

Council has unveiled a series of videos and images, including a seven-minute documentary-style video called Our Precious Water to inform, educate and connect customers to our Water and Wastewater team.

The campaign, starring a variety of Council staff, features several educational videos and immersive videos that explore the journey of our water from rainforest water intakes to our homes.

The Manager for Water & Wastewater, Peter Tonkes, said the videos provide an important insight into the processes involved in water supply and delivery.

“Our water is precious and many people aren’t aware of the complex, rigorous processes involved in the water journey, or the number of highly skilled and qualified people that work passionately behind the scenes,” he said.

“For instance, we have a high-tech control room that operates from our Mossman treatment plant where the team meticulously oversee water quality, extraction rates and reservoir levels.”

From flowing down mountains to Rex Creek, to making its way to the Mossman water treatment plant where it is extracted, filtered, tested, and treated, to finding its way to the Crees Road Reservoir before making the final journey to your home – the videos give an in-depth look into the Douglas water journey and the people behind it.

The new webpages also provide information on current water restrictions and the reasons behind the water restriction status at any given time.

“We publish current Rex Creek Intake levels and monthly water consumption data to provide transparency and clarity regarding the current water restriction status,” said Mr Tonkes.

“Our water security strategy is also available to view and is based on sophisticated water demand modelling for the Douglas Shire.”

Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said the new publicly available information would be a valuable resource for the community during drier periods.

“When it comes to water security, Douglas Shire is in a delicate position and Council is working on future-proofing our supply to cater for sustainable growth,” he said.

“These fantastic educational videos, along with the trove of information that is now publicly available, will help us work more effectively with our community when intake levels drop and water restrictions are enacted.”