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Brisbane averts water treatment crisis

Muddy water arriving at Mount Crosby water treatment plant in Brisbane yesterday. - ABC

Brisbane has escaped a water crisis, with the main water treatment plant now operating at almost full capacity.

Water restrictions now appear set to be lifted across the city at midnight tonight.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk says the Mount Crosby Water Treatment Plant is operating at almost full capacity, with 12 hours' supply in the reservoirs.

He says it is a different story to yesterday, when some Brisbane suburbs faced the prospect of the taps running dry.

Extremely muddy water arriving at the plant from the swollen Brisbane catchment had clogged up filters and dramatically slowed down water purification.

To make matters worse yesterday, Brisbane residents increased their water consumption - despite the council's pleas to conserve water.

Councillor Quirk says the situation is under control now.

"We will be keeping restrictions in place until midnight tonight," he said.

"That's simply a precautionary measure because should one of those plants go down with the murky water then we would be back to where we were.

"We think the water quality will continue to improve."


- ABC

© ABC 2013

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