A concrete weir was first constructed on the Boorowa River in 1902. Photo: Nick D/Wikimedia Commons.
As Boorowa prepares to become the first Hilltops town to receive smart water meters, the community is still waiting for an answer to one of its oldest problems – securing a reliable water supply when drought bites.
Digital meters are due to begin rolling out in August, while next Tuesday’s budget could determine whether the town’s long-planned $56 million pipeline moves a step closer to reality.
After testing the technology on around 20 meters in Young, Hilltops Council recently announced the staged rollout of the new technology, which will provide households and businesses with better information about how they use water while helping reduce losses across the network.
Installations are expected to begin in Boorowa in August before moving to Harden-Murrumburrah and surrounding areas, with Young to follow as part of the third stage of the rollout.
The technology is expected to help residents track their water use, identify leaks earlier and avoid unexpected bills, while also helping council detect losses and inefficiencies across the wider network.
In most cases, existing meters will remain in place, with only a transmitter device being added, and residents are being encouraged to ensure meters are easily accessible before installation begins.
Making better use of available water is one thing. Ensuring there is enough of it when drought returns is another.
For Boorowa, the cycle is a familiar one.
Water shortages and concerns over supply reliability have been part of the town’s story for more than a century, with severe droughts repeatedly exposing the vulnerability of a system that still relies primarily on the Boorowa River.
Member for Cootamundra and Shadow Minister for Water Steph Cooke said the situation highlighted the need for a long-term solution.
“This is a community of 2500 people, just an hour from the nation’s capital, that still does not have guaranteed water security,” she said.
The search for a more secure supply has been decades in the making.
The latest proposal would connect Boorowa to the Goldenfields Water network, which draws water from the Murrumbidgee River at Jugiong and already supplies Jugiong, Harden, Young and Galong.
After years of planning, the project is nearing the end of the design phase and expected to be finalised later this month, placing it in a strong position to move to construction should funding be secured.
Ms Cooke said Tuesday’s budget would be a key test of the NSW Government’s commitment to regional water security.
She noted no new investment had been allocated to the NSW Safe and Secure Water Program for three consecutive years, while expressions of interest under the National Water Grid program remained on hold.
She said the lack of a funding commitment was holding back housing and economic opportunities in Boorowa.
“More importantly, it leaves the community vulnerable should severe drought conditions return, and residents cannot and should not be expected to truck in water like we’ve seen in the past,” Ms Cooke said.
She said councils needed certainty, whether through renewed investment in the Safe and Secure Water Program or another funding mechanism.
Council will provide updates as the digital water meter project progresses and residents will be notified before installations begin in their area.
For Boorowa, attention now turns to Tuesday’s budget and whether decades of planning can finally deliver the water security generations of residents have sought.
Original Article published by Edwina Mason on About Regional.
