Residents of the Far North Queensland town of Mount Molloy have been thrust into a water crisis, forced to rely on bottled supplies after their main town water source unexpectedly ran dry.
Community left high and dry
The crisis began on a recent Tuesday, when locals discovered their taps had stopped flowing. The Cairns Regional Council confirmed the failure, attributing it to a critical issue with the bore that supplies the town's water. The council immediately activated its emergency response, delivering pallets of bottled water to the community's most vulnerable residents.
Authorities established a dedicated water distribution point at the Mount Molloy Memorial Hall, where affected residents could collect their emergency supplies. The sudden loss of water has disrupted daily life, with households unable to perform basic tasks like cooking, cleaning, and bathing without resorting to bottled water.
Council scrambles for a solution
Cairns Regional Council has mobilised crews to address the bore failure. Initial investigations point to a mechanical or electrical fault within the system, though the exact cause remains under urgent assessment. Repair teams are working around the clock to restore the vital infrastructure.
In a statement, the council acknowledged the severe inconvenience and assured residents that resolving the situation is their top priority. They have urged all locals to conserve any remaining water and to utilise the provided bottled water for essential needs only. The council is also coordinating with local services to ensure support reaches elderly and disadvantaged community members who may struggle to collect water.
Living on a knife's edge
This incident highlights the fragility of water security in some regional Queensland communities, especially during periods of prolonged dry weather. While not explicitly linked to drought in the initial reports, the failure underscores how reliant small towns are on single-point water sources.
The Mount Molloy community, known for its resilience, is banding together, but frustration is growing as the outage continues. Residents are left waiting for updates, unsure of when normal service will resume. The council has promised to provide regular updates on the repair progress as more information comes to hand.
For now, the people of Mount Molloy face an uncertain wait, their routines upended by a basic service failure that most Australians take for granted.
