KEEP at least ten litres of drinking water per person on standby and keep your drains clear.
That is the word from water supplier Urban Utilities as it encourages customers in Scenic Rim to prepare for extreme weather this summer.
The information is timely as the region reflects on the Christmas storms of 2023, which particularly devastated Tamborine Mountain.
Urban Utilities said with above average rainfall predicted this summer, they were encouraging locals to get ready by doing some simple checks around their home.
In late October, Urban Utilities put the call-out because the Bureau of Meteorology’s long-range forecast was predicting above average rainfall for south-east Queensland from October to December.
Urban Utilities spokesperson Michelle Cull said there were steps customers could take to protect their home and help prevent stormwater infiltrating the wastewater network during heavy rain.
“Check your overflow relief gully (ORG) is raised and clear of debris or objects which may prevent the grate from lifting freely,” she said.
“Your ORG is a drain-like fitting located in the ground outside your home and is designed to overflow wastewater onto the ground outside, rather than inside the home, if there is a blockage in your plumbing or excessive stormwater in the wastewater network.
“It’s also important to check your stormwater downpipes are not connected to your ORG as incorrect plumbing connections are a common way stormwater makes its way into our network.”
She also recommended that emergency kits should include at least 10 litres of drinking water per person in case water supply was temporarily interrupted during extreme weather.
“We provide safe and reliable water services and have crews on standby 24/7 to respond to any issues, however, like all infrastructure, our water network can be impacted by storms,” she said.
“For example, if there’s a power outage, it can impact the pumps in our network causing a temporary disruption to water supply.
“When putting together your emergency kit, you can either use bottled water or fill your own food-grade water containers with tap water and store it in a cool place out of direct sunlight like a pantry.”
For more information on preparing for emergencies, visit www.getready.qld.gov.au
