Manual pumps enlisted after lightning strike damages reservoir

Armidale Regional Council in NSW is running pumps manually during the day to partially restore water pressure to homes in the affected area during high and moderate-use periods, while permanent repairs are being undertaken at the reservoir.

Armidale Regional Council’s General Manager – Businesses, Scot MacDonald, said it will take several days for some necessary equipment to arrive but the council remains optimistic the system will be fully restored and operational shortly.

“In the meantime, the manual use of backup pumps will enable us to maintain water supplies to homes in the most elevated sections of Armidale during periods of higher use, between 6am and 10pm,” Mr MacDonald said.

“It is not feasible to operate these manual pumps outside these hours but typical usage during the low-demand periods should mean affected households will still have some water supply – although it is likely to be at a very low pressure.”

Mr MacDonald said even while the manual pumps are running, households could experience some reduction in water pressure at times.

“We encourage residents to minimise their water use while the repairs are being carried out and, where practical, to time their water use outside the highest peak periods – which are typically around breakfast and dinner time,” Mr MacDonald said.

“Households in this region have become very efficient in minimising water use during the ongoing drought. For the next week, there will be further impetus for households in the affected zone to minimise their use until the pumping equipment is restored.”

The pump equipment damage has affected homes in the northern Armidale, Foothills Estate and Link Road areas. Pumps are needed to direct town water to these areas because of their elevation, while the water reticulation systems to other sections of Armidale are gravity fed.

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