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Cooltong filtered water project 'on tap'

29 December 2008

Cooltong has turned on its taps to a filtered water supply for the first time.

Minister for Water Security Karlene Maywald announced before Christmas the early completion of the $2.8 million Cooltong Filtered Water Project - an extension of Stage 3 of the State Government's Country Water Quality Improvement Program.

"About 90 households in Cooltong noticed an improved taste, smell and colour of their water by Christmas Eve," Minister Maywald says.

"Originally the project was expected to be completed in January next year but it has been complete ahead of schedule."

The project began in September and included the construction of a new pump station at the existing Renmark Water Treatment Plant and a 12-kilometre pipeline to transfer water to Cooltong.

As a separate project, SA Water is continuing work on replacing an existing pipeline along Cooltong Avenue as part of a routine upgrade.

Minister Maywald says a project to supply filtered water to about 380 customers in the Moorook Country Lands is also nearing completion.

"Work on the $7.3 million Moorook Country Lands Filtered Water Project is progressing well, with SA Water in the process of building a new water treatment plant near the Woolpunda pumping station," Minister Maywald says.

"We expect areas including the Moorook Country Lands, Wunkar, Mantung and part of Murbko to have filtered water by the start of February 2009.

"As the current extreme drought continues, water quality in the River Murray is more at risk of potential quality issues such as algal blooms, so projects like this are helping safeguard supply to our regional communities."