A meeting involving Cairns Regional Council, Cairns Water, and the Douglas Community Water Reference Group (DCWRG) was held in Mossman last week to discuss the way forward for a proposed Chlorine Free Trial.

In October last year chlorine was added to the water supply in response to public health orders issued by Queensland Health due to failed water quality tests.

The meeting paved the way for further consultation on a Chlorine Free Trial which is aimed at removing chlorine from the region’s water supply, while maintaining high water quality fit for human consumption.

Bruce Gardiner of Cairns Water used the Dutch model to demonstrate how a chlorine free network operates, and what conditions are necessary to ensure safe drinking water including high quality ground water, a highly pressurised pipe network, and daily monitoring of the supply.

At meeting’s end, Cairns Regional Council, Cairns Water, and the DCWRG agreed, in principle, to develop the Chlorine Free Trial by engaging experts in the field and investigating what resources are required to further the trial. These steps are planned to be underway by July 2010.

As part of the public education process, Cairns Regional Council will operate an information stall during Carnivale’s Beach Day this Saturday, 29 May. Cairns Water and representatives of the DCWRG will be present to help raise community awareness of the water issue, and the stall will also be used to update Port Douglas residents and tourists on the 4 Mile Beach esplanade upgrade.