2020-02-18
Relaxing Sydney’s water restrictions while the impacts on water quality from runoff from heavy rainfall into the Warragamba dam remain uncertain is irresponsible says Cate Faehrmann Greens MP and spokesperson for water.
“We won’t know the full impact of less oxygen in the dam in just two weeks. Sydney could still be at risk of losing 80 percent of its water supply if the dam suffers from algal blooms or contamination by heavy metals,” said Ms Faehrmann.
“The fact that water quality was bad enough last week for the dam to be shut down is alarming. I’ve spoken with water scientists who are seriously alarmed at the potential for a full-blown crisis for Sydney’s water that may take weeks to reveal itself.
“It’s grossly irresponsible for the Water Minister to wind back restrictions now for a good news headline while there are still serious risks around the future viability of Sydney’s water quality.
“The recent heavy rains will continue to cause water quality problems for months as an inrush of contaminants leads to less oxygen in the water, potential algal blooms and heavy metal contamination.
“Sydneysiders deserve the right to know how long was the dam shut down for? What contaminants in the dam caused it to be shut down? What levels did those contaminants fall to that made it acceptable to turn it back on? I have submitted all of these questions to the Minister, ” said Ms Faehrmann.
Contact: Jacob Miller - 0428 837 292