Power and Water Corporation (Power and Water) crews continue to restore power and wastewater services disrupted by extensive flooding across Katherine and surrounding areas.
As of 4pm today, more than 2,600 people have had power restored, with around 215 remaining to be connected. In some cases, connection cannot happen until floodwaters recede enough for crews to access infrastructure.
For properties that are accessible, but had power disconnected due to the effects of flooding or for safety reasons, a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) of Electrical Safety needs to be provided before Power and Water can reconnect the power. This is the responsibility of the property owner, who can obtain a CoC from a NT-licensed electrician. Once an owner has a CoC, they can call Power and Water on 1800 245 092 to arrange reconnection.
Flooding has also caused disruption to sewerage systems that service more than 650 residents in Katherine and outlying communities. Temporary solutions meant residents have been able to flush toilets while repairs are undertaken on a collapsed sewer main at Giles Street and a broken pipe near the Katherine Arts Centre. The sewer pump servicing the evacuated community of Kalano was also affected, but has now been reconnected to power
Crews have operated pumps and large-scale vacuum trucks, with extra equipment, including a backup pump and plumbing supplies, and crews arriving in Katherine from Darwin today to support works.
Residents are asked to check their Overflow Relief Gullies (ORG) are clear and functioning. ORGs are located outside a property and, in the event of a sewerage blockage, allow sewage to overflow outside instead of inside a property.
Power and Water Incident Controller and Executive General Manager Power Services, Belinda Small, said crews have been working around the clock to repair critical infrastructure as quickly as is safely as possible.
‘Floodwaters caused significant disruption to parts of Katherine’s essential infrastructure and our teams are working hard on the ground to repair and restore,’ Ms Small said.
‘We ask people to please stay clear of cordoned-off areas so our crews can focus on repairs, and to stay away from floodwaters, which could be contaminated by sewage.’
NT Health has issued a Boil Water Alert for Katherine.
‘Power and Water thanks the Katherine community for their patience while our crews continue restoring services in challenging conditions,’ Ms Small said.
Residents can stay up to date with outages and service updates at:
https://www.powerwater.com.au/outages
Picture caption: an Overflow Relief Gully (ORG)
Media contact: 0401 117 599 / media@powerwater.com.au
