Debbie brings dam relief
Cyclone Debbie has pushed some Queensland water storages well over their limits.
Water was released from Kinchant Dam, 30 kilometres west of Mackay, before the storm hit this week.
In the wake of the storm, Kinchant Dam was at 116.2 per cent capacity while Teemburra Dam hit 109.9 per cent. Other nearby dams Callide and Kroombit stayed under capacity, swelling to 62.4 per cent and 14.8 per cent respectively.
SunWater, the state-owned water utility, says continued outflows from these dams are likely in coming days.
With some areas still facing heavy downpours and the risk of flooding, SunWater has warned that the dams are not designed for flood mitigation.
“We make the releases based on clear operating rules,” executive general manager of operations and services Colin Bendall said.
“Cyclones and the amount of rain you get from them is quite unpredictable, and if we were to commence releases early, potentially we could have cut the road earlier.
“We've certainly been keeping people informed since Sunday and making sure people had plenty of notice that releases were coming and [we] gave people the opportunity to make a decision to stay or evacuate.”