Drinking water crisis in Townsville after Cyclone Yasi
© The Cairns Post
Friday, February 4, 2011
TOWNSVILLE may have escaped the worst of cyclone Yasi, but now faces the prospect of running out of water. Townsville Mayor Les Tyrell has warned the city could run out of fresh drinking water after power was cut to the main water treatment plant. Cr Tyrell has pleaded with residents to conserve water. “Certainly our water treatment plant at Douglas, our major sewerage treatment plants and the council’s communication system have all been put off line,’’ he said. “Unless we conserve water in Townsville, there is a reasonable likelihood that the city could run out of water
tonight. “I am appealing to the people of Townsville and Magnetic Island … that water is a critical issue at this moment and I would ask them to use water in the next couple of days simply for drinking purposes. “The outcomes are fairly tremendous if we don’t do that.’’ Cr Tyrell said as far as structural damage was concerned, the city appeared to have “come out of this very well”. … [Update: 5.05pm Townsville Mayor Les Tyrell has told us he no longer thinks the city will run out of drinking water.]
