Patricia Gill, Denmark Bulletin

Water pressure dropped to a trickle to 400 households last Friday night when a leaking water main was turned off for repairs about 9.30pm.

WA Water Corporation crews began work on Friday leaving households without pressure until 6pm on Saturday but the water was cut again from 9am-4pm on Sunday so a Shire of Denmark stormwater drain could be fixed.

It was deemed necessary to replace 12m of stormwater drain to prevent further possible problems ahead of forecast rain on Sunday night.

Low pressure meant instantaneous hot water systems were not working and when supply resumed the water was discoloured.

The Corporation is investigating the reason for the burst pipe but a spokesperson said many factors could have contributed.

These included the material and location of the mains, age, ground movement, third party damage, nearby construction and tree roots.

Bottled water was available from the corner of Ocean Beach Road and Campbell Road during the outage.

The spokesperson said discoloured water occurred when there was a change in pressure from restoring a main which could result in sediment being stirred up.

Though sediment made the water look discoloured, the water was safe to use.

In mid-July about 2500 homes and businesses in Denmark began receiving most of their drinking water via the $25 million Denmark pipeline.

The Corporation built the 43km pipeline in 2021 from Denmark to the Lower Great Southern Towns Water Supply Scheme in response to declining and unreliable rainfall.

It ensures the town no longer solely relies on surface water from its primary source, Quickup Dam.

Instead, Denmark can now receive groundwater from Albany in winter, reducing demand for surface water and allowing Quickup Dam to be replenished by winter rainfall.

The pipeline had been used occasionally in recent months to supplement supply.

Corporation Great Southern manager Adrian Stewart said the pipeline would likely be Denmark’s main water supply until mid-September.

Depending on rainfall, it was likely the Quickup Dam would be brought online in September, when demand increased after winter.

The pipeline was designed to help meet demand during winter when less water was used and for the higher capacity Quickup Dam to be used at other times, including during summer.

Water cut to a trickle

“While the pipeline is incredibly important in providing the flexibility to manage supply challenges, it doesn’t mean we can be complacent when it comes to being waterwise, especially if the winter rains don’t come,” Mr Stewart said.

People might have noticed a change in taste owing to the switch from rainwater to groundwater, but the water was safe to use as normal.

Mr Stewart said there had not been enough rain for Quickup Dam to be the main source of water for Denmark.

“Instead we will rely on groundwater as we do in many parts of WA, including areas of Perth and in Albany,” he said.

“There can be aesthetic differences between water sources, but water is perfectly safe and meets all standards under the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.”

Information on prevention of calcium scale is avaiable on the Corporation website.

This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 1 August 2024.