INVERELL ratepayers will be out of debt on July 1 next year just in time to finance the next stage of a new water reservoir which will double our storage capacity and our ability to withstand water shortages.

The start of the 2004 financial year will mark the end of loan payments on Gilgai and Delungra water supplies and free Inverell Shire council to take out a $1million loan for the new reservoir.

The entire project will cost $1.7 million but $700,000 of the work's cost will be spent from council reserves during the coming financial year.

The work is listed in Inverell Shire's budget and is seen as a major improvement to our water supply security.

Council's corporate services director Ken Beddie said the job would double our holding capacity of treated water to 2.5 Megalitres, enough to run the town, connected villages and industry for about six days at peak demand.

He said the increased storage capacity would allow the Inverell Shire community greater security in the event of any sort of supply disruption from the source, Copeton Dam, or the Inverell filtration plant. Mr Beddie said the shire's strict debt management allowed it the flexibility to borrow for major projects without risking the shire's financial stability.

In other water supply developments, the council plans to replace water mains in Leonard and Shirley streets ($68,700) and upgrade the Copeton No1 and 2 pump stations ($219,660) which will allow the council to take advantage of $40,000 to $50,000 annually in power tarrif savings.

There will also be $1million spent on water main extensions in the Fernhill Rd and Old Bundarra Rd areas, about $10,000 for Graman water supply upgrading and a further $65,000 for water works at Ashford.

© 2003 Inverell Times

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