Boil Water Alert
Current Status: 2:14 pm, 17 September
Boil Water Alert Lifted
Following advice from NSW Health and confirmation of improved water quality, the Boil Water Alert for all affected areas has now been lifted. Tap water is safe to drink and use for food preparation without boiling.
Council will issue further updates if conditions change.
Information from recent Boil Water Alert:
What You Need To Do:
Water used for the following purposes must be boiled before consumption.
• Drinking
• Preparing food, including washing fruit and vegetables
• Making ice
• Brushing teeth
• Preparing baby formula
Kettles with automatic shut-off switches can be used. Store cooled, boiled water in clean, lidded containers and refrigerate where possible.
Everyone, particularly people caring for young children, should be careful to avoid scalding when heating and then cooling the water.
Tap water is safe for bathing. There is a potential risk if water is swallowed during washing and bathing.
Why This Alert Is in Place:
The recent heavy rain in the Glenbawn Dam catchment has caused problems with effective water treatment, meaning that drinking water is not safe.
The source water contains high turbidity, sanitation of this high turbidity water is ineffective leaving pathogens in the water. Removal of these pathogens is required to meet drinking water standards.
The NSW Health website provides information and special considerations for:
What is an NTU?
Water turbidity is measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU). Turbidity refers to how cloudy or murky the water appears due to tiny suspended particles like silt, clay, organic matter and pathogens. These particles scatter light – and the more scattering that occurs, the higher the NTU reading.
What is Sanitation?
Sanitation is the process of destroying pathogens in the water through chlorination, this process takes 30 minutes.
Understanding Turbidity, Sanitation and Safety Limits
Council monitors turbidity at multiple points throughout our water network. Continuous monitoring is carried out at Glenbawn Dam, with daily turbidity readings conducted by Upper Hunter Shire Council staff at designated locations.
The water reticulation system has a critical turbidity control limit of 4 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit) to ensure that the added chlorine can effectively reach and destroy any pathogens. When turbidity exceeds 4 NTUs, chlorine disinfection becomes significantly less effective, and the water is considered unsafe for consumption, triggering a Boiled Water Alert.
There is currently no observable trend indicating whether turbidity levels are rising or falling, so it is not possible to estimate the duration of this event at this stage.
Please note that boiled water is microbiologically safe, after boiling.
What is Council Doing:
• Testing alternative water sources, including low-level Glenbawn draws and the Aberdeen river intake
• Conducting multiple daily water quality tests
• Working closely with NSW Health to monitor the situation and determine when the alert can be lifted
• Providing ongoing updates via this website and Facebook
How Long Will This Last?
Council does not currently know how long this the boil water alert will remain in place. The duration will be based on achieving turbidity levels of the source water measuring consistently below 4NTU which will permit sanitation of the water to meet drinking standard.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
FAQs
What contaminants are we concerned about?
Our water treatment processes don’t work effectively when there is increased water turbidity. This means that pathogens could be in the water that can make people sick with gastroenteritis. Boiling water as directed kills these pathogens and makes the water safe to drink.
I've drunk the tap water - what should I do?
Don't panic. However, monitor yourself for symptoms over the next week including:
- Stomach cramps or pain
- Diarrhoea
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fever
People most at risk include the elderly, the very young, or those with weak immune systems.
If symptoms develop, stay hydrated with cooled boiled water (or bottled water) and contact your GP. Let them know about the boil water alert. If symptoms are severe, call 000.
Why is Aberdeen on hold until further notice?
Aberdeen currently has sufficient water stored in its reservoir, and Council is aiming to preserve this supply until cleaner water becomes available. This helps avoid refilling the reservoir with high-turbidity water.
We will continue monitoring the situation closely and will notify the Aberdeen community if and when circumstances change.
Why aren’t we using the bores in Kingdon Ponds, Scone?
Council is actively testing water from the Kingdon Ponds bores. While these bores offer a potential alternative source, the water quality is currently not suitable due to the presence of herbicides and other contaminants. Until testing confirms the water meets strict health and safety standards, it cannot be used for the public supply. We’ll continue monitoring and reassessing this option as conditions evolve.
Why aren’t residents receiving a rebate during this alert?
Water services in the Upper Hunter are already among the most affordable in the region. This lower cost comes with a slightly reduced level of service compared to utilities that charge more. Introducing rebates during events like this would require a higher base rate for everyone, year-round. Council’s approach aims to keep water affordable for all residents while still providing safe, treated water and responding to emergencies as they arise.
Why can’t Council just build a water filtration plant?
Upper Hunter Shire Council (UHSC) supplies water to Scone, Aberdeen and Murrurundi directly from Glenbawn Dam, with chlorination (and soon UV disinfection) as the only treatment. Muswellbrook Shire Council (MSC) treats its water through a conventional filtration plant.
Since 2023, UHSC and MSC have been working together on the idea of a joint water treatment facility. This would take water from Glenbawn Dam, treat it in one location, and then distribute it to all four towns. It would require new pipelines, pumps and a full conventional treatment plant.
Technical and financial studies have been completed, looking at several options. While a joint facility would improve water quality, public health and operating costs in the long term, it would cost around $80 million for the water plant and a further $50 million to replace the ageing sewage treatment plant.
These projects are not affordable without significant external grant funding. Both councils have written to the NSW Government seeking support and will apply for funding as opportunities arise.
What has been done in the advocacy for Boiled Water Alert and Water Treatment Plant?
Following Council’s resolution on 25 August 2025, a letter was sent to relevant NSW Government departments, advocating for disaster recovery funding for water and sewer infrastructure affected by the declared natural disaster events AGRN1212 and AGRN1216 and a media release was made through Council’s official channels with the following message:
29 August 2025
Upper Hunter Shire Council is calling on the NSW Government to urgently review disaster recovery funding rules, following significant damage to local water infrastructure caused by the storm event of 3 August 2025, which was subsequently declared a natural disaster.
The storm left Council with close to $500,000 in costs to repair essential water infrastructure. Despite the scale of the impact, water and sewer assets are currently ineligible for cost recovery under natural disaster declarations, due to their classification as “commercial activities.”
Mayor Maurice Collison said the situation highlights an inequitable and short-sighted approach that unfairly burdens small rural councils and communities.
“Labelling water infrastructure as a commercial enterprise ignores reality. These are vital public assets, every bit as essential as roads, bridges, or community facilities—assets which do qualify for recovery funding,” Mayor Collison said.
“Excluding water and sewer services from disaster recovery frameworks places an unreasonable strain on rural councils. Not only is it cost-shifting from state to local government, it is targeted cost shifting where the regional councils are affected but not the metro councils, and it leaves communities like ours to carry the financial burden for damage caused by events beyond our control.”
Council stressed that water and sewer services are fundamental to public health, safety, and liveability. With natural disasters becoming more frequent and severe, the lack of financial support risks undermining councils’ ability to maintain these essential services.
“We are urging the NSW Government to reconsider its position and revise the criteria to ensure water and sewer assets are included in disaster recovery funding. Our communities cannot, and should not, be expected to shoulder these costs alone,” Mayor Collison said.
Likewise, on 19 August 2025, the Mayor sent a letter to the Minister for Water (Hon. Rose Jackson MLC) requesting urgent funding for the Water Treatment Plant project, outlining the risks and impacts that natural disasters pose to the drinking water supply for over 9,000 residents and more than 600 businesses across the Upper Hunter towns of Scone, Aberdeen, and Murrurundi with the following message:
UHSC does not currently have a dedicated water filtration plant and we are low-level treatment is done through chlorine dosing and UV Treatment unit, both of which are not effective for mitigating risks from turbidity, chemical or microbiological activities. As a result, the region remains highly vulnerable to adverse weather events, particularly heavy rainfall, which directly impacts the raw water supply from Glenbawn Dam. This year alone, the townships have entered into two extended Boil Water Alerts (BWAs), the first lasting five weeks in June 2025, and the second, which commenced on 6th August 2025, is still ongoing and expected to extend for up to eight weeks. These events are direct outcomes of the lack of water treatment infrastructure.
Successive floods have introduced significant sediment, nutrients, and contaminants into Glenbawn Dam. These contaminants pose an increasing threat to public health and could escalate to a “Do Not Drink” alert if mixing within the dam mobilises toxins or pathogens that boiling cannot eliminate. As mentioned previously, there are currently no filtration barriers in place to address risks such as high turbidity, blue-green algae blooms, metals contamination, or microbial pathogens; many of which render the water unsafe even after boiling.
As per our Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM) document, it is noted that UHSC’s water system is now the third largest high-risk unfiltered supply in NSW. Without government intervention, it will be the largest and only remaining high-risk unfiltered surface water supply in the state by 2027. The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), through the Safe and Secure Water Program (SSWP), has assessed our system as High Risk, with the maximum risk score of 5. Additionally, NSW Health has categorised our system as high risk for Cryptosporidium contamination.
During the current BWA event, turbidity levels in the reticulated supply reached 23 NTU, more than 115 times the safe limit for high-risk systems. At one stage, we were preparing to shut down the water supply entirely and distribute bottled water across the region. While a full shutdown was narrowly avoided, Council incurred significant cost (subsidised by DCCEEW) in arranging emergency water cartage and preparing for potential community-wide bottled water distribution.
UHSC has now experienced at least four significant incidents in the past five years, each resulting in extended Boil Water Alerts. These events represent serious near misses, and Council holds grave concerns that the next occurrence could be far more severe; potentially requiring an unprecedented emergency response for a community of this size.
To manage future incidents, Council is currently investigating the use of temporary emergency water treatment units. However, these solutions come at a considerable cost, estimated at $1.5 to $2 million per event, while water carting alone is expected to exceed $70,000 per week during each event.
The financial and operational burden is already being felt across the local economy. JBS Meatworks, one of the region’s largest employers with over 300 staff, has had to implement its own water treatment measures to continue operating. Coles supermarket was recently forced to close its delicatessen due to the inability to safely wash down surfaces using town water. Many local businesses and residents are relying on boiling water for extended periods, or purchasing bottled water and bagged ice, simply to maintain basic hygiene and food safety standards.
It is increasingly evident that boiling water is no longer a sustainable or effective mitigation strategy. If water quality continues to be unreliable, it poses a serious threat to business continuity across the region, potentially resulting in closures and significant economic impacts for the broader community.
Council, along with other key stakeholders (DCCEEW and NSW Health) have identified the construction of a full conventional Water Treatment Plant (WTP) as the only long-term, sustainable solution to this public health and service delivery crisis.
UHSC has completed pre-planning, including options assessment, concept design, feasibility, and cost estimation.
The estimated capital cost for UHSC is $78–$80 million.
If delivered jointly with Muswellbrook Shire Council (MSC), there is potential for economies of scale, with a combined infrastructure cost of approximately $178 million.
Both individual and joint options are considered acceptable by Council, depending on funding availability and regional planning considerations.
Council strongly believes that this is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project that will protect public health, ensure water security, and unlock regional development. However, the cost is well beyond the capacity of our community to fund. Council currently holds $3 million in Section 64 contributions and $4 million in water reserves, which are already committed to renewals of existing infrastructure.
Council’s Water Reserve Funds can contribute a maximum of 5% of the project cost through borrowing, but we are formally requesting 100% grant funding from the NSW Government to deliver this critical public health infrastructure.
The proposed WTP also aligns with the priorities outlined in the Greater Hunter Regional Water Strategy and the Town Water Strategy, both of which aim to improve water safety, security, and support growth in regional NSW. Council has formally requested that this project be included in these strategies to support forward planning and grant funding.
We are seeking:
An immediate commitment of $11 million over two years to progress detailed design and approvals
A further commitment of $66.1 million for construction funding.
Given the minimum four-year timeline (two years for design, two for construction), we urge the NSW Government to act swiftly to secure these benefits for our community. Delay will not only risk further public health incidents but could lead to a catastrophic failure requiring an unprecedented emergency response.