About Toowoomba bulk water supply

Cress Water is a most precious resource. Our unique geographical situation on the top of the Great Dividing Range along with past droughts and seasonal dryness has caused the Toowoomba region to rethink its use. Our rainfall can be irregular and unreliable so we need to be conservative and water-wise in our water use.

Toowoomba bulk water supply provides treated drinking water to communities connected in the Oakey, Goombungee, Crows Nest and Highfields service areas. It has three different water sources - supply dams, underground bores and connection to Wivenhoe Dam via a pipeline.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 January 2012 09:30

Cooby Dam

Cooby Dam is the oldest of the city's three water supply dams, constructed during the period 1938-41. This Dam is located about 17 km North of Toowoomba on Cooby Creek, a tributary of Condamine River.

Last Updated on Monday, 19 December 2011 11:34

Perseverance Dam

Perso

Perseverance Dam is the second largest, in terms of storage capacity, and the second oldest storage dam of the city's three water supply dams. Construction of this dam commenced in 1962 and was completed in 1965. This dam is located approximately 35 km Northeast of Toowoomba on Perseverance Creek, which is a tributary of Cressbrook Creek.

Last Updated on Monday, 19 December 2011 11:37

Toowoomba bore water

The first bores in Toowoomba were in the 1880’s. Council now has 20 bores in Toowoomba now which supply up to 30% of the city’s water demand. Toowoomba’s bores are between 30 and 70 metres deep. Three larger bores have been drilled into the Great Artesian Basin to provide emergency supplies when needed.

As Toowoomba has grown, so has the demand for water. Toowoomba’s water comes from dams and from groundwater, which is water stored underground in aquifers, or cavities, in the rocks.

Last Updated on Monday, 19 December 2011 11:46

Oakey water supplies

Oakey_RO_Tubes

Oakey's water supply basically consists of two water supply schemes. The first scheme, 'Central', supplies communities including Oakey, Jondaryan and Gowrie Mountain. The second scheme, 'Eastern', services Cotswold Hills, Torrington, Glenvale and Westbrook.

Oakey provides water services to a population of around 10,000 through almost 4000 connections. Oakey and Jondaryan are supplied chiefly by the Oakey RO (Reverse Osmosis) supplemented by the Toowoomba bulk water supply.

Last Updated on Monday, 19 December 2011 11:48

History of Toowoomba's water supply

In Toowoomba today there are three different water sources - underground bores, tanks and dams. If you had lived here in the mid 1800s you would have gone to a spring or a well for your water, but later on - around 1880 - the first bores were sunk.

As our city grew, so did the demand for water. Now we have three big storages which are part of our water supply system. Cooby Dam was completed in 1941. Perseverance Dam was built during the 1960s and Cressbrook Dam was completed 20 years later. By this time Toowoomba's population had grown to over 80,000.

Last Updated on Monday, 19 December 2011 11:49

Cressbrook Dam

Cressbrook Dam is the largest and newest of the city's three water supply dams. The dam is located on Cressbrook Creek approximately 10 km downstream of Perseverance Dam. The construction of the dam was commenced in 1981 and was completed in 1983.

Last Updated on Monday, 19 December 2011 11:36

Wivenhoe Dam

The water from Wivenhoe Dam is lifted more than 200 metres to Cressbrook Dam and then has to be lifted another 425 metres to be treated and ready for use as in homes and businesses over 600 metres above its source. The pipeline will ensure that the local water infrastructure keeps pace with the needs of the community.

The surface water storages of Cooby, Perseverance and Cressbrook Dams and water from bores in and around Toowoomba have been able to adequately supply a population of up to125,000 and associated businesses and industry. The pressure of the population growth of Toowoomba and surrounding areas within the region combined with a prolonged drought led to the Toowoomba bulk water supply dropping to just below 8% capacity in early 2010.

Last Updated on Monday, 19 December 2011 11:44

Crows Nest & Highfields water supplies

Crows Nest's and Highfield's water supply consists of six water supply schemes which are all serviced with water supplied by the Toowoomba Bulk Water Supply of Cressbrook and Perseverance Dams. Water is supplied to the communities of Blue Mountain Heights, Highfields, Hampton, Crows Nest and Perseverance.

Crows Nest and Highfields provide water services to a population of around 10,500 through almost 4000 connections.

Last Updated on Monday, 19 December 2011 12:00

Goombungee water supplies

Goombungee provides water services to a population of over 6,700 through almost 2,500 connections.

Goombungee's water supply consists of the seven water supply schemes of Goombungee, Gowrie Junction, Meringandan West, Kingsthorpe, Yarraman, Jondaryan and Kulpi. The communities of Goombungee, Gowrie Junction, Meringandan West, Kingsthorpe and Jondaryan are serviced with water supplied by the Toowoomba Bulk Water Supply of Cressbrook, Perseverance and Cooby Dams and bores.

Last Updated on Monday, 19 December 2011 12:00

About Toowoomba bulk water supply

Cooby Dam

Perseverance Dam

Toowoomba bore water

Oakey water supplies

History of Toowoomba's water supply

Cressbrook Dam

Wivenhoe Dam

Crows Nest & Highfields water supplies

Goombungee water supplies

Write to council

Phone council

Service centres