Every week, we conduct rigorous testing to monitor the quality and safety of drinking water, to ensure that the supply of water to households and businesses is of the highest standard.

This drinking water quality monitoring program is designed according to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) and complies with statutory requirements under the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008.

 

Summary of drinking water quality data

July 2012 - June 2013

For detailed results on each scheme, click on the scheme name

Scheme name 

 Water quality parameters analysed

 Meets ADWG*?

 




Chemical parameters
Bacteriological quality
Beaudesert

35

Yes

Yes

Boonah-Kalbar

36

Yes

Yes

Canungra

36

Yes

Yes

Esk-Toogoolawah

52

Yes

Yes

Jimna

52

Yes

Yes

Kilcoy

51

Yes

Yes

Kooralbyn

35

Yes

Yes

Linville

52

Yes

Yes

Lowood

52

Yes

Yes

Rathdowney

35

Yes

Yes

SEQ Water Grid

53

Yes

Yes

Somerset Township

51

Yes

Yes

*ADWG = Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011.             

The ADWG 2011 have been developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in collaboration with the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (NRMMC). The ADWG incorporates the Framework for the Management of Drinking Water Quality and provides the Australian community and the water supply industry with guidance on what constitutes good quality drinking water. View the ADWG

Bacteriological quality

Bacteriological quality is assessed by monitoring the water for the organism Escherichia coli as an indicator of contamination. A drinking water scheme is considered bacteriologically safe to drink if no E. coli are found in 98 % of samples analysed.

Chemical parameters    

Queensland Urban Utilities reports yearly on a number of water quality parameters. The performance for chemical parameters with a health value is assessed as recommended by the ADWG.

Performance is deemed as satisfactory if the 95th percentile value is less than the ADWG health guideline value.

Performance for parameters with an aesthetic guideline value is assessed as recommended by the ADWG. Water is considered good quality if the mean value of an aesthetical parameter is measured at less than the recommended maximum criteria described in ADWG.      

 

Summary of drinking water quality data

October 2011 - September 2012

For detailed results on each scheme, click on the scheme name

 

Scheme ID 

Scheme Name

Total No.

Parameters

No. Health

Parameters

No. Parameters

Passed

No. Parameters

Failed

Scheme

Passed? (Y/N)

 1

SEQ Water Grid - Brisbane

58

19

19

0

Y

2

SEQ Water Grid - Ipswich

30

14

14

0

Y

3

Boonah-Kalbar

30

14

14

0

Y

4

Canungra

30

14

14

0

Y

5

Beaudesert

30

14

14

0

Y

6

Kooralbyn

30

14

14

0

Y

9

Jimna

53

19

19

0

Y

 10

Linville

53

19

19

0

Y

 11

Kilcoy

53

19

19

0

Y

 12

Somerset Township

53

19

19

0

Y

 15

Esk-Toogoolwah

53

19

19

0

Y

 16

Lowood

58

19

19

0

Y

Notes:

  • Health-related water quality complies with the ADWG that the annual 95th percentile value is less than the recommended ADWG value.
  • Aesthetic water quality complies with the ADWG in that the annual 50th percentile value is less than the recommended ADWG value.
  • E.coli complies with the ADWG at least 98% of scheduled samples contain no E.coli.

Drinking water quality data

The following drinking water quality data is representative of drinking water quality for each scheme between July 2010 and June 2011.

Health-Related Chemical Compliance 2010-11

For detailed results on each scheme, click on the scheme name

 

Scheme

ID 

Scheme Name

Total No.

Parameters

No. Health

Parameters

No. Parameters

Passed

No. Parameters

Failed

Scheme

Passed? (Y/N)

 1

SEQ Water Grid - Brisbane

58

14

14

0

Y

2

SEQ Water Grid - Ipswich

30

9

9

0

Y

3

Boonah-Kalbar

30

9

9

0

Y

4

Canungra

30

9

9

0

Y

5

Beaudesert

30

9

9

0

Y

6

Kooralbyn

30

9

8

1

N*

7

Rathdowney

30

9

9

0

Y

9

Jimna

53

14

14

0

Y

10

Linville

53

14

14

0

Y

11

Kilcoy

53

14

14

0

Y

 12

Somerset Township

53

14

14

0

Y

 14

Toogoolawah

53

14

14

0

Y

 15

Esk

53

14

14

0

Y

 16

Lowood

58

13

13

0

Y

* Due to a poor water body quality at the regular Water Treatment Plant uptake point, an alternative source water was in use at the time of testing. This alternative water body contained a large amount of algae, which increases the concentration of dissolved organic carbon in the water. Dissolved organic carbon reacting with chlorine will create trihalomethanes (THM). Due to the short duration of exposure, no adverse health effects are likely. Levels of THM returned to normal when the treatment plant returned to uptake from the regular source water, following improvement in quality.

Notes:

  • Health-related water quality complies with the ADWG that the annual 95th percentile value is less than the recommended ADWG value.
  • Aesthetic water quality complies with the ADWG in that the annual 50th percentile value is less than the recommended ADWG value.
  • E.coli complies with the ADWG at least 98% of scheduled samples contain no E.coli.