An independent Central Coast water authority is the only way forward

EDITORIAL

Water is life. Yet, once again, residents across large swathes of the Central Coast were told on Tuesday night to boil their drinking water due to potential contamination.

Although the alert, affecting thousands in Terrigal, North Avoca, Avoca Beach, Copacabana, MacMasters Beach, Picketts Valley, Erina, Erina Heights and Kincumber, was lifted less than 24 hours later, it raises a critical question: why are we still dealing with these issues?

This is not an isolated event.

The ongoing water monitoring program conducted by Central Coast Council and the EPA has, over the Summer, identified toxic PFAS in untreated water from the Ourimbah Creek catchment.

While authorities assure us that our drinking water meets Australian guidelines, the presence of contaminants in our catchments underscores the fragility of our water security.

Council said the Boil Water Alert issued on Tuesday was precautionary, triggered by the possible detection of E. coli in the Terrigal Reservoir Supply System.

Testing on Wednesday cleared the system of contamination.

While such alerts are necessary for public safety, they also highlight the systemic challenges facing water management on the Coast.

The complexity and scale of water quality monitoring, contamination response and infrastructure maintenance demand dedicated oversight and expertise.

This brings us to the elephant in the room: the role of water management in the financial collapse of the last Central Coast Council.

Mismanagement, funding shortfalls and bureaucratic entanglements contributed to a fiscal crisis that saw the Council placed under administration.

At the heart of this chaos was an overburdened system struggling to deliver essential services, including clean water.

It is time for a dedicated, independently run Central Coast Water Authority, not under the auspices of Council as at present.

A standalone entity, separate from the Council’s broader responsibilities, would have a clear mission: to secure our water supply and safeguard water quality.

Such a body would ensure long term investment in infrastructure, independent oversight, and a sharper focus on the health and well-being of our communities.

Water security is too vital to be lost in the mix of local and state government politics.

It’s time for a new approach, one that guarantees clean, safe drinking water for every Central Coast resident, now and into the future.

David Abrahams – Managing Editor