Orange was announced as the winner of the Water Industry Operators Association (WIOA) NSW Exhibition and Conference water taste test on Thursday night and, of the four finalists, has the second lowest water rates and a highly dedicated team of operators behind the water.

While Orange residents pay $2.02 per kilolitre and an annual $221.60 access fee, Tamworth Regional Council had the cheapest water rates, with $1.42 per kilolitre and a $248 access fee.

Last year’s taste test winner Bega Valley Shire Council charges $2.50 per kilolitre and a $198 access fee, while Port Macquarie-Hastings Council has the highest rates with $2.55 per KL and a $183 access charge.

Icely Road Water Treatment Plant manager Jon Francis said winning the competition was due to his team’s hard work.

He said while the plant had high-tech systems including ozone treatment and biologically-activated carbon (BAC) filters not often seen in regional plants, the defining factor behind Orange’s water quality was the plant’s four workers.

“[The ozone treatment and BAC filters] offer additional levels of filtration, but it’s more about the operators,” Mr Francis said.

“Working as a team to contribute to the constant running of the plant is important.

“We’ve done a lot of work on the filters recently. The guys are constantly tinkering with things.”

“There’s always something to improve,” added senior water treatment operator Glen Wicks.

The plant processes approximately nine megalitres of water a day, pumped from Suma Park Dam, treated with chemicals and filtered.

Each day workers check water quality, clean filters and make sure the storage tanks and booster pumps around Orange are in good nick. 

Mr Wicks said the most satisfying part about his job was knowing Orange residents had access to clean water.

“Just seeing the quality of water from when it comes up from Suma Park to when it gets pumped out the other end to Orange; it’s amazing the difference in quality,” Mr Wicks said.

alexandra.king@fairfaxmedia.com.au