REDLAND City Council has formally acknowledged on-going intermittent water pressure interruptions affecting parts of Capalaba.
An adopted motion recognises that an “ongoing, intermittent water pressure interruption exists” in properties south of trunk main infrastructure in high-level pressure zones centred around Mount Cotton Rd, Ney Rd, School Rd and Howlett Rd.
It also calls for a detailed report examining service levels, citywide risk, and consideration of a pricing concession mechanism should remediation prove unachievable.
Resident Fernando da Silva addressed Council and outlined two key problems.
“The first is consistently low water pressure. The second is the complete cut-off of water supply several times a day, every day,” he said.
After moving into the area four years ago, his family initially assumed the issue was temporary.
When it persisted, they contacted Council and were advised the problem appeared to be within their property.
“As a mechanical engineer, my technical understanding told me that a complete water cut-off could not realistically originate solely within my property,” he said.
Mr da Silva replaced the 80m supply line from the meter to his house at significant personal cost.
“It made absolutely no difference,” he said.
Following advocacy through the local councillor, pressure loggers were installed.
The data confirmed repeated supply interruptions.
“We then spoke with our neighbours, they told us this has been happening for more than 30 years and that they have simply been living with it,” Mr da Silva said.
“We believe it is unreasonable that we pay the same access and service charges as other residents in the Council area while not receiving the same level of service.
“Other residents pay the same, but they receive a reliable water supply. We do not.”
Councillor Jason Colley said the concerns had been validated.
“It is not speculative or anecdotal evidence. The pressure loggers have confirmed the interruptions,” he said.
He stressed that residents do not have a direct retail relationship with SEQ Water.
“They purchase their water through Redlands Water, which is governed by Redland City Council,” he said.
“This is not a direct customer relationship between residents and SEQ Water.”
Cr Lance Hewlett acknowledged the existence of the problem but argued that responsibility lay with SEQ Water rather than Council.
“My understanding is this is not fundamentally a Council issue. I believe the fault lies with SEQ Water,” he said.
“If concessions are introduced, that effectively shifts the cost onto our broader ratepayer base, and I do not believe that is fair.”
Cr Hewlett also questioned the practical value of a discount.
“If someone is in the shower and the water cuts out, are they really going to think, ‘Well, I’ve received a small discount on my access fee, so I’ll accept this’?,” he said.
“I don’t believe that addresses the real frustration or disruption being experienced.”
Cr Hewlett ultimately voted against the motion, which passed 9-1.
Council General Manager of Infrastructure and Operations Chris Isles described the situation as technically complex and unusual within the city’s network.
“From an operational perspective, however, we are confident that this is a very unusual situation within the water supply network of our city,” he said.
He cited a rare configuration involving retail lines connected directly to bulk water main infrastructure, compounded by elevation and topography.
“It involves legacy infrastructure constructed in the early 1980s, at a time when that part of the city had a significantly smaller population,” Mr Isles said.
“It is fair to say that if we were designing this network in 2026, we would not configure it in the same way.”
