Urban Utilities

Urban Utilities We’re responsible for delivering world-class drinking water and wastewater services to Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Somerset and Scenic Rim.

You can get in touch with us on Facebook from 7am to 7pm weekdays. At the heart of everything we do is genuine care: For each other, for our customers and communities, and for the environment. We’re there when our customers need us – whether it’s a simple shower or flush of a toilet; major infrastructure works or new residential developments. Our head office is in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, but o

ur employees work all over SEQ - including at our SAS Laboratory in Darra, field-based depots in Eagle Farm, Acacia Ridge and Bundamba, and wastewater treatment plants located across our region. Your privacy is important to us. We collect your personal information so we can respond to enquiries you send us and update our records. To find out more about how we use and disclose your personal information, access our Privacy Policy at https://urbanutilities.com.au/privacy

Our social media terms of use are available at https://urbanutilities.com.au/about-us/corporate-information/social-media-terms-of-use

While the last two weeks has made us all consider just how essential water is, especially in an emergency, we asked some...
22/03/2025

While the last two weeks has made us all consider just how essential water is, especially in an emergency, we asked some of our people who work in water year-round what it means to them.

Here’s what they said:

Working in the water biz POV!We asked our people to tell us about their role in bringing water to our community each day...
21/03/2025

Working in the water biz POV!

We asked our people to tell us about their role in bringing water to our community each day, ahead of World Water Day tomorrow.

It’s not lost on us that our role as a 24/7 essential water provider is showing up when it matters most -- to keep our customers and our people safe, informed, and enable them to protect their homes and water supply needs.

Kandula Jayakody leads a busy team of four in our labs, testing around 800 samples of water and wastewater for metal and...
20/03/2025

Kandula Jayakody leads a busy team of four in our labs, testing around 800 samples of water and wastewater for metal and nutrients every week.

He’s spent most of his career working in the water industry, and in June last year, it drew him back in.

“I like working in water more! You can see the results immediately and you’re contributing to the health of the community,” Kandula reflects.

Kandula’s water experience started at just 20 years of age.

“I started working in water on a few projects while I was still at university, and it’s piqued my interest and expanded my skills ever since.”

Kandula has serious scientific cred, having worked for the National Measurement Institute, Department of Industry, Science and Resources and the Queensland Department of Environment.

He originally made the move to Queensland from Japan supporting his wife’s ambitions to complete her PHD in microbiology here. They applied for permanent residency together and now happily call Australia home.

The contribution to his community is not lost on Kandula as our Senior Technical Officer.

“The water industry depends on public trust,” Kandula identifies.

“As a lab, we are trying to provide the public with quality and reliable water every day. We do this by having skilled people and the right equipment to deliver the results our community can rely on.”

For the next three months, however, Kandula has moved from the labs to our treatment plants in Oxley and Pinkenba as our Technical Systems Specialist.

Here, he’ll make sure that our wastewater treatment plants are operating to the safety and regulatory standards under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Act, especially as we introduce new, more efficient processes.

“It’s a great opportunity to understand the operations side of our business and I’m really excited for the experience working in a fast-paced environment, and in data analytics,” he reflects.

Data analytics is an area of passion for Kandula, and he’s looking forward to the doors working in this field at our treatment plants might have for his future career.

“I think it helped knowing I have a background in data analytics, and I’m already familiar with the wastewater treatment plants from my lab and project work so I can learn faster on-the-go,” he adds.

Congratulations on your new appointment Kandula, and all the best in your career!

A lot has changed but some things stay the same… Historic photos we’ve dug up of a water reservoir being built in 1920 a...
19/03/2025

A lot has changed but some things stay the same…

Historic photos we’ve dug up of a water reservoir being built in 1920 at Bartley’s Hill Reserve in Ascot show how much construction methods have changed (spot the horse and cart)!

Right now we’re refurbishing a reservoir at the same site, originally built in 1907, to extend its life for decades to come so it remains a source of water to 82,000 people living in Brisbane’s inner north-eastern suburbs.

We love this local piece of reservoir history!

We know this water supply project is near and dear to our community. Stay updated: www.urbanutilities.com.au/network-upgrades/current-projects

Our crews are currently responding to a burst water pipe at North Quay, Brisbane City, near the corner of Ann Street.Thi...
17/03/2025

Our crews are currently responding to a burst water pipe at North Quay, Brisbane City, near the corner of Ann Street.

This is a complex job due to the location and road damage and our crews are expected to be on site for the next few days.

North Quay will remain closed between Ann Street and Turbot Street while we complete the repairs, however there will be no impact to customer services.

Traffic control is in place, and we urge drivers to take care.

We’re sorry for the inconvenience and thank the community for their patience while we carry out these essential responsive works.

Even though the sun's out and flood waters are receding, we urge you to still be mindful of the risks from wastewater ov...
14/03/2025

Even though the sun's out and flood waters are receding, we urge you to still be mindful of the risks from wastewater overflows.

During severe weather events, waterways can be impacted by a range of sources including diluted wastewater, debris, animal waste and stormwater run-off.

The severe weather event has resulted in wastewater overflows and releases from some of our wastewater infrastructure. These overflows can occur in public spaces like parks as well as in waterways.

⛔️ Please stay away from potentially contaminated floodwaters, soil and wastewater. Contamination can include human and animal waste, chemicals, industrial waste and all kinds of debris.

We’ve commenced installing signage at these locations now that it is safe to do so, and we’re responding to these overflows as quickly as we can. We need to prioritise our work depending on the impact to private property, public safety and whether the overflow has stopped.

In the meantime, please be careful. If you observe:

⚠️ lingering puddles in public places

️⚠️ maintenance hole lids dislodged or water around them, or

⚠️ odour issues

please let us know at urbanutilities.com.au/fault or call us 24/7 on 13 23 64.

How to: flush your taps! Discoloured water can sometimes happen when water is turned back on after pipe bursts or water ...
13/03/2025

How to: flush your taps!

Discoloured water can sometimes happen when water is turned back on after pipe bursts or water outages, as it can stir up sediment in the pipes.

The best way to clear it is to flush your taps. Here’s how:

👉 Turn the front outside tap on first until the water runs clear. Starting at the front tap means you won’t pull discoloured water through the rest of the house!

👉 Then work through the house from front to back, running individual taps one at a time until the water runs clear.

👉 Flush the tap at the back of the property last to flush out any dirt left in the pipes.

👉 To avoid wasting water while you flush, catch the water in a bucket and give your indoor plants a drink!

If you’re still experiencing discoloured water after flushing your taps, give us call on 13 23 64 so we can investigate.

💧 A little preparation goes a long way 💧 With Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred now behind us and the weather easing, we know m...
11/03/2025

💧 A little preparation goes a long way 💧

With Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred now behind us and the weather easing, we know many of you are eager to pack your emergency kits away and get things back to normal. However, we encourage you to keep at least 10L of water per person stored—just in case.

Severe weather and flash flooding can impact power, roads, and the water network even after the storm has passed. While our teams work around the clock to restore services, having some extra water on hand can make all the difference if there are any unexpected disruptions.

UPDATE 3PM 11 March:Customers in The Gap and Ashgrove are no longer asked to save water.Power has successfully been rest...
10/03/2025

UPDATE 3PM 11 March:

Customers in The Gap and Ashgrove are no longer asked to save water.

Power has successfully been restored to the pump station that supplies The Gap Reservoir.

Thank you for your help while we responded to this issue.

--

💧 Please save water where you can 💧

We’re asking everyone in The Gap and Ashgrove to help save water today while we continue to work with Energex to restore power to the pump station which supplies water to The Gap Reservoir.

There has been a delay in getting this back online due to access issues from flooding in the area, however we are working as quickly as we can. Safety remains our top priority.

Any savings on water use will greatly assist in managing the water supply as we work to recover from the impacts of Ex-TC Alfred.

We will provide updates on this post.

Your drinking water remains safe to drink but please keep your stored water until the risk of a temporary disruption to the water network has passed.

We’d like to reassure everyone your drinking water remains safe to drink and continues to be treated to the Australian D...
09/03/2025

We’d like to reassure everyone your drinking water remains safe to drink and continues to be treated to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

🚰 Fact Check: Seqwater is producing safe drinking water 🚰

We’ve heard some concerns about floodwater affecting drinking water—rest assured, what we are distributing is safe to drink. ✅

🔹 Seqwater operates 30+ water treatment plants, ensuring clean, safe drinking water.
🔹 We follow strict Australian Drinking Water Guidelines to maintain quality.
🔹 The SEQ Water Grid helps us move treated water across the region when conditions change.

When there are impacts to power supply, please use water wisely.

Remember we will keep you updated if our water quality is impacted.

For updates in your area check with your local water retailer: Unitywater, Redland City Council, Urban Utilities, Logan City Council, City of Gold Coast.

Stay safe!

🏄‍♀️ Please put your boogie board back in the garage.🏄‍♀️ We’re seeing a lot of content on social media and community gr...
09/03/2025

🏄‍♀️ Please put your boogie board back in the garage.🏄‍♀️

We’re seeing a lot of content on social media and community groups of people playing in wet weather. We’re reminding people to avoid contact with flood water and local waterways following the impacts of Ex-TC Alfred.

During wet weather events, waterways can be impacted by a range of sources including diluted wastewater, debris, animal waste and stormwater run-off.

‼️ Please keep your family and pets safe and share this post with anyone who might need the reminder.‼️

Update 4:40PM 13 March Thanks for your patience over the last few days as we’ve been responding to water interruptions a...
08/03/2025

Update 4:40PM 13 March

Thanks for your patience over the last few days as we’ve been responding to water interruptions around our network.

The impacts of Ex-TC Alfred have eased, so we will no longer be regularly updating this post.

For up-to-date information on any interruptions, please visit: https://www.urbanutilities.com.au/faults-and-interruptions/water-service-interruptions

❎REPORT A FAULT❎
To report a water or wastewater issue, please visit https://www.urbanutilities.com.au/faults-and-interruptions/report-a-fault in the first instance. You can also call us 24/7 on 13 23 64.

💧KEEP WATER STORED💧
Be careful not to waste your stored water, and we recommend keeping it until the risk of temporary disruption to the water network has passed.

🏥HEALTH🏥
If you have health concerns or require assistance to access medical treatments, please contact 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) or 000 if it’s an emergency.

Thanks for your patience, and for being our eyes and ears by reporting any issues you spot. As always, don’t take any risks, stay away from flood waters.

UPDATE 20 March:⚠ This advice has been lifted. ⚠   Our sampling results show the impacts of this release have been resol...
07/03/2025

UPDATE 20 March:

⚠ This advice has been lifted. ⚠

Our sampling results show the impacts of this release have been resolved.

The signs will be taken down at public access points in the coming days.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we complete this once-in-a-generation renewal of the Bulimba-Hamilton Siphon.

-

⚠️ Brisbane River Alert: Please temporarily avoid contact with the river between Vic Lucas Park at Bulimba and Colmslie Beach Reserve at Murarrie.

A wastewater release has occurred due to the effects of Cyclone Alfred during a critical project.

For more information visit https://www.urbanutilities.com.au/faults-and-interruptions/brisbane-river-updates

We hope you’re safe and feeling prepared for the weather in the coming days. While we wait to see the impacts of cyclone...
07/03/2025

We hope you’re safe and feeling prepared for the weather in the coming days. While we wait to see the impacts of cyclone Alfred, it’s important to understand what to expect in the days immediately following its arrival.

The impacts of severe weather events like this can be felt for quite some time depending on how the situation unfolds.

💧Be careful not to waste or empty your stored water once Cyclone Alfred passes. We recommend keeping it until the risk of temporary disruption to the water network has passed. (10L per person for drinking and enough for your pets too)

💧Our crews will attend to jobs as soon as possible, however there may be a delay as we need to wait until it is safe to do so.

💧We’ll be updating https://www.urbanutilities.com.au/faults-and-interruptions/incidents in the event of severe weather impacts, network interruptions or water supply updates.

💧To report a water or wastewater fault or emergency, jump on our website https://www.urbanutilities.com.au/faults-and-interruptions/report-a-fault or call us 24/7 on 13 23 64.

Keep an eye on  this afternoon and tonight – where our Executive Leader for Operations & Maintenance is live on the grou...
07/03/2025

Keep an eye on this afternoon and tonight – where our Executive Leader for Operations & Maintenance is live on the ground at Kedron’s Emergency Services Complex.

David Brooker’s top takeaways to viewers:

💧Severe weather events are often associated with power outages, but water and wastewater services can also be impacted.

💧If there’s a power outage during a severe weather event, people may also lose water supply, as water boosters in the network need electricity to operate.

💧We have a 24-hour control centre where we monitor the water and wastewater network, and we’re also working quickly to minimise any impacts to customer services as much as possible during this event.

💧Fill your own clean containers with tap water to store at home. We recommend around 10 litres per person which is enough drinking water for around three days (and make sure you have enough for your pets too).

💧The impacts of severe weather events like this can be felt for quite some time depending on how the situation unfolds, so best to keep your stored water until the risk of temporary disruption has passed.

💧To report a water or wastewater fault or emergency, jump on our website https://urbanutilities.com.au/faults or call us 24/7 on 13 23 64.

Keep an eye on 9 News Queensland this afternoon and tonight – where our Executive Leader for Operations & Maintenance is...
07/03/2025

Keep an eye on 9 News Queensland this afternoon and tonight – where our Executive Leader for Operations & Maintenance is live on the ground at Kedron’s Emergency Services Complex.

David Brooker’s top takeaways to viewers:

💧Severe weather events are often associated with power outages, but water and wastewater services can also be impacted.

💧If there’s a power outage during a severe weather event, people may also lose water supply, as water boosters in the network need electricity to operate.

💧We have a 24-hour control centre where we monitor the water and wastewater network, and we’re also working quickly to minimise any impacts to customer services as much as possible during this event.

💧Fill your own clean containers with tap water to store at home. We recommend around 10 litres per person which is enough drinking water for around three days (and make sure you have enough for your pets too).

💧The impacts of severe weather events like this can be felt for quite some time depending on how the situation unfolds, so best to keep your stored water until the risk of temporary disruption has passed.

💧To report a water or wastewater fault or emergency, jump on our website https://urbanutilities.com.au/faults or call us 24/7 on 13 23 64.

As we all get ready for severe weather forecast for this week, our teams are working hard to prepare key infrastructure ...
05/03/2025

As we all get ready for severe weather forecast for this week, our teams are working hard to prepare key infrastructure so we can minimise the impact to your water and wastewater services as much as possible.

Here’s what we’re doing:
👉Enacting flood preparedness actions at various low-lying or coastal sites around our network, including sandbagging and erecting flood barriers.
👉Removing critical components including switch boards at pump stations to ensure we can get these back up and running quickly after the event.
👉Securing generators to have on standby for as many key pieces of critical infrastructure as possible.
👉Ensuring our water reservoirs are full in case supply is temporarily disrupted.
👉Postponing all planned non-essential work from 5pm Wednesday 5 March to 5pm Sunday 9 March to minimise pressure on the network and team resourcing.

There’s plenty you can do on your own property, too: https://urbanu.com.au/GetReadyForRain

So, let’s get ready together for severe weather!

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31 Duncan Street
Brisbane, QLD
4006

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