General News
8 January, 2026
Water supply disruptions possible after rain
RESIDENTS are being urged to prepare for possible disruptions to Cairns’ water supply following heavy rainfall that can impact water treatment operations and reservoir capacity.
Cairns Regional Council CEO Ken Gouldthorp said residents should store water safely and continue to adhere to the current permanent restrictions.
The warning comes as the combination of heavy rain and the current reduced operating capacity of the Cairns water network increases the risk of service disruptions.
Residents are being advised to use clean, food-grade containers to store drinking water, keep them in a cool, dark place and refresh stored water every three months. For non-potable use, residents can save rainwater, collect shower water or use pool water for toilets and gardens.
Most of Cairns’ drinking water is sourced from Copperlode Falls Dam, with a smaller contribution from Behana Creek. Untreated water from these sources is processed at the Freshwater Creek and Behana Creek water treatment plants before being pumped into a network of reservoirs across the city.
However, reservoir capacity is currently reduced, with the Brinsmead and Bayview reservoirs offline and the University Reservoir operating at around 65 per cent capacity.
Emergency works on the University Reservoir have been completed and work to bring the Brinsmead Reservoir back online is progressing well. Repairs to the Bayview Reservoir are set to begin after the wet season.
Mr Gouldthorp said the combination of heavy rainfall and reduced storage capacity continued to present challenges.
“A large amount of rainfall can create significant problems for us in providing tap water,” Mr Gouldthorp said.
“High rainfall causes high turbidity within the raw water supply. If turbidity levels rise too much, we may need to pause operations temporarily to maintain water quality standards, and we're limited to the amount of water we've got stored in our reservoirs.
“So even while it's wet and raining and there's lots of water out there, we do have a substantial risk to our tap or potable water supply.”
Residents are also being encouraged to conserve water to help maintain reservoir levels. This includes taking shorter showers, fixing leaking taps or toilets quickly, delaying high-water-use activities such as washing cars or topping up pools, and reporting leaks or main breaks.
Further water restrictions beyond the current Level 0 may be considered if prolonged heavy rain and treatment plant shutdowns occur. Council is urging residents to review their cyclone kits and safety preparedness as the wet season continues.
