Following record-breaking floods on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, the community of Wingham remains dependent on a fragile temporary water system after a major pipeline was destroyed during the disaster.
In late May, the floodwaters ripped through the pipeline that supplies water to Wingham, severing the connection between its reservoirs and the region’s Bootawa water supply dam near Taree. The damage occurred where the pipeline crossed the deepest part of the Manning River, with riverbank erosion exceeding 20 meters in some sections, leaving the pipeline on the southern side nearly unsupported.
MidCoast Council’s Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Services, Rob Scott, explained that the council has implemented a makeshift solution by rerouting water through an alternative pipeline, pumping water from a reservoir near Taree to Wingham’s reservoirs. However, he emphasized that a permanent fix is urgently needed as there is no backup system in place.
“If the backup pipeline fails, the water supply to residents in Wingham, Taree, and nearby towns such as Harrington and Coopernook would be severely impacted because their reservoirs are interconnected,” Scott warned. “We don’t know how long repairs will take, and once the reservoirs run out, that’s all the water left for the community.”
He outlined the potential timeline of water shortages, stating that within a day, high-elevation areas would begin experiencing low water pressure. By the second or third day, residents could face complete water outages, with the situation worsening as reservoirs deplete. For example, Wingham’s reservoir typically holds about 10 megalitres of water, with a daily consumption of around 2 megalitres.
The ongoing vulnerability highlights the urgent need for a permanent repair to ensure a reliable water supply for the community amid future flood events.
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