Water restrictions on the Mount Somers drinking water supply have been lifted, as the supply at the Stoney Creek intake is up to comfortable levels.

About 150 properties connected to the supply have been on restrictions since January and Group Manager Infrastructure and Open Spaces Neil McCann said Council staff had been closely monitoring flows at the intake over the past dry summer.

“We thank everyone connected to the supply for using water conscientiously during this time and we are pleased to be able to lift the restrictions. The supply has normalised over the past two weeks and consumption has levelled out.”

Council has plans to futureproof the supply in the long term by investigating other intake sources for the township’s drinking water supply.

A new $4.6 million water membrane treatment plant for Mount Somers is also in the final phase of construction and will raise reservoir capacity when completed in a few months’ time.

Mr McCann said the work was on track and the membrane skids were currently being installed. Eight new reservoir tanks were also due to be delivered to the site and installed over the next two weeks and this will increase storage capacity from 125 cubic meters to 240 cubic meters.

The new treatment plant should be fully operational in July. It is a smaller version of the new Methven water membrane treatment plant that opened late last year, ending the need for boil water notices that were often issued after heavy rain events.

A new building has been constructed to house the treatment equipment, along with new soakage fields, settling ponds and drainage pipework.