Water Act 2000

A water supply emergency is a situation in which there is a demonstrably serious risk the State’s, or a part of the State’s, essential water supply needs will not be met.

The following are examples of circumstances from which a situation mentioned in subsection (1) may arise—

failure of a large part of water supply, treatment or distribution infrastructure or wastewater infrastructure;

extended severe drought conditions;

contamination of a water storage used for essential water supply needs causing the water to be unfit for supply.

In this section—demonstrably, in relation to a serious risk, means the serious risk can be demonstrated by reliable data about water supply.essential water supply needs means water supply for—

domestic purposes; or

essential services, including the generation or distribution of electricity; or

processing or refining minerals or petroleum in the local government area of the Gladstone Regional Council.