Supply issues have delayed essential water infrastructure for the Darling Downs town of Clifton.
Clifton's Great Artesian Basin bore and reverse osmosis treatment plant were due to be operational this month, but an electrical component delay has pushed the go-live date back to late-February 2022.
Toowoomba Regional Council Water and Waste Committee chair Rebecca Vonhoff said a full electrical upgrade was needed at the site and council was waiting on the essential component.
"Council is currently waiting on the delivery of an essential electrical component to be able to complete this vital switchboard upgrade and unfortunately, the project team was only informed of this delay in the past two weeks," Ms Vonhoff said.
The new infrastructure is currently scheduled to be delivered to site early December but full commissioning and connection to the reticulation network cannot occur until the electrical upgrade is complete.
The operation of the GAB bore will end months of council carting drinking water to Clifton.
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The electrical upgrade and switchboard design are likely to be completed in the coming weeks and installed onsite in late December.
Ms Vonhoff said the GAB bore would supply water to Clifton as soon as it was put into service.
"Once operational, the GAB bore and treatment plant will be a valuable, long-term investment in delivering a quality water supply to Clifton residents," she said.
The GAB bore supply will be augmented with water from the town's existing shallow aquifer bores.
Council will monitor the GAB bore closely in the initial months after to ensure its effective operation.
Council committed $800,000 this financial year to progress a containerised water treatment plant to mix and treat water from Clifton's GAB and shallower bores.
A 100-hour pump test of the GAB bore was completed in June as part of securing a reliable water source for the town with results showing that with minimal treatment the GAB water will be potable.
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