Urban Utilities

13/06/2025

What goes into making sure everyone in our growing region has access to our services? A lot of hard work behind the scenes from people like Danielle!

After growing up in a small coastal town in New Zealand and spending much of her time at beaches, creeks and lakes, Danielle Willis never imagined she’d end up working in an industry close to her heart.

“As a core foundation, water, to me, means community and family. And to work in the water industry, where it does bring value to so many people has quite a profound impact on me,” she reflects.

Danielle’s entry in the water industry was mostly by chance. After studying law at university and trying her hand working in a law firm, she soon realised the legal industry wasn’t for her.

While trying to find a new direction, she realised she wanted: “a role where, A, I can grow and B, I can still use my legal education and my skills.”

This led her to joining our Developer Services team in 2018 – the part of Urban Utilities that helps connect our growing communities to water and wastewater services and ensures the sustainability of our network.

“It was really fulfilling and validating, finding a place completely outside of my normal realm of thinking that makes you feel like you're valued and there's a purpose to what you do.”

As an Agreement Planning Officer, Danielle helps to coordinate the infrastructure agreements for some of the big developments across our region. These agreements are often underpinned by our water approval process, which ensures our water and wastewater networks can support the increased demand, while helping to make the connection process simple for our development customers.

Collaborating with customers and consultants is one of the highlights of her job, as well as making sure we’re building a sustainable and reliable network for everyone.

Even though she’s far from the waterways of her childhood, living and working in Brisbane still means she feels the connection between water and community.

“We are so uniquely positioned in the sense that we're subtropical and we're a river city. We get flood events, summer storms, even just heavy rainfall that will have an impact on our infrastructure. It’s important to me to respect water and the water industry.”

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Danielle!

12/06/2025

We’re always here when you need us!

You can chat to our local contact centre, available by phone, webchat or on Facebook.

To report a fault or emergency contact us 24/7 on 13 23 64

For more information visit urbanutilities.com.au

For general enquiries, call us 8am-5pm weekdays on 13 26 57

11/06/2025

“Water is life, craft and flavour” to Gordon Chalmers. It’s a key ingredient to making the liqueurs, vodkas, gins, and rums at Tamborine Mountain Distillery, and some 1.8 million visitors make the trip up the mountain to visit tourist attractions like the iconic distillery each year.

Located inside Queensland’s oldest national park, each crafted drink takes notes from its natural surroundings with rare botanicals and flavours coming through in liqueurs like Bush Limoncello and Wattle Toffee Liqueur.

“We want to create an experience that’s unique, memorable, and allows our customers to connect with and learn about the different drinks they are sampling,” Gordon explains.

“As such, we take great care in sourcing the finest local ingredients including pure rainwater, locally grown fruits, herbs, and spices,” he adds.

“Water is the heartbeat of the distilling process” Gordon highlights, from cooling the stills, cleaning equipment and blending the spirits.

Being atop of Tamborine Mountain means Gordon’s distillery is off grid from our water network, so he’s especially conscious of how he uses every drop.

“You don’t really appreciate how vital it is until you’re managing it independently like we do,” Gordon reflects.

“All of our water comes from the sky as we collect rainwater across the property, with a total tank capacity of about 120,000 litres,” he adds.

Beyond the distilling process, water is essential across the business.

“We mulch heavily to keep soil moisture in and avoid watering during hot hours. We’ve learned to be careful, smart, and creative with what we’ve got.”

Step onto the lush green grounds of the distillery, where fresh fruits are growing ready to inspire the next drink, it’s clear sustainability doesn’t stop at water supply - solar panels line the rooves, the lawn mower is electric powered, and everything is composted.

Gordon wouldn’t want to be doing what he does anywhere else in the world.

“You’re surrounded by beauty – the rainforest, wildlife and fresh mountain air. There’s a real sense of community too, especially among local producers.”

“And of course, the access to incredible local ingredients makes it the perfect place to craft world-class spirits.”

Thanks, Gordon, for sharing how water brings your business to life!

10/06/2025

Ever wondered what's in the pipeline? Sorry, occupational joke! We want to bring you along for the journey on our future plans.

Our essential services play an important role in creating liveable communities, protecting public health and the environment, and supporting economic growth in our region.

It’s important we continue to renew our vast network, but we’re also looking at new infrastructure projects to meet the growing needs of your community, both now and into the future.

09/06/2025

Proud to sponsor an event that gives you 100 reasons to visit SEQ's incredible salad bowl!

Plan your next meal in Scenic Rim🤤:

The Winter Harvest Festival is back, alongside a lineup of long lunches, fire-cooked meals, cheesemaking workshops, spirits celebrations and more.

06/06/2025

To celebrate our sponsorship of the iconic Scenic Rim Eat Local Month, we’re giving away 2 double passes to the Winter Harvest Festival. 🌽💧

All you need to do is comment below ️- what's your favourite seasonal dish made with your favourite local produce? Water is the secret ingredient to some of our seasonal favourites from South East Queensland's salad bowl!

Good luck – and get inspired below!

For the full terms and conditions, visit: https://urbanu.com.au/Seasonal-Fav

06/06/2025

Access to a safe and secure water supply is crucial for those living in SEQ’s rural and regional areas, where every drop is vital.

We’ve been working on a new way to monitor and control our water and wastewater assets across our vast service area in Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and Somerset to ensure that we’re providing a cost-effective, high-quality service for our customers.

Along with our delivery partner John Holland, the Regional Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Project is using technology to send information from right across SEQ to our central Operations Hub. That means we can make better decisions about maintenance, operations, equipment, and control of the water and wastewater system.

We’ve installed or upgraded software and devices across 203 sites, which are remotely connected to 13 radio base stations over an area of 12,516km2.

It’s just one way we’re committed to enhancing the liveability of our communities and maintaining reliable, high-quality services for our customers.

05/06/2025

3 ways we take care of our beautiful natural environment here in SEQ. 💚

04/06/2025

The Scenic Rim is an example of nature’s unmatched beauty. We believe in wandering wisely and treading lightly, and we’d love you to as well! We know the local farmers, distillers and makers we're talking with this month take care of the natural environment, and the water they use, and you can too. Here's how you can be sustainable when visiting the Scenic Rim:

Here’s how you can make a difference:
🥕 Support our local farmers
🌲 Tread responsibly
♻️ Reduce your environmental footprint
💧 Bring your own reusable water bottle

Let's celebrate the best of the Scenic Rim 🌾

03/06/2025

Maintaining a safe and reliable water supply to our regions is possible because of people like Jeremy and the crew in Beaudesert.

Jeremy started with Urban Utilities in 2012, and is now a Field Services Team Leader. His team helps keep the network running across the Scenic Rim.

“My role is to make sure that our crews have everything they need to get the job done as efficiently as possible. Sometimes it’s liaising between customers and crews, or just supporting our crews however I can to make sure they can get their job done safely and efficiently.”

Warmer, wetter weather can lead to more bursts and issues which Jeremy’s team needs to respond to.

“Summer's always a busier time. Between our reactive and planned work, we're always busy. One of our crews is dedicated to responsive work – things like bursts – while the others switch between planned and responsive depending on what’s happening.

“At times we’ll support our metro crews in Brisbane or Ipswich if they need a hand with planned night works, wet weather clean-ups or responding to bursts or other incidents. Our crews are more than happy to help out our colleagues across our region to help keep the network running as it should.”

Jeremy’s work has taken him all over SEQ – and even up to Port Douglas, to help out local crews during Cyclone Jasper in 2023.

“It was a real highlight to represent Urban Utilities up north and help them out when they were in need.

Myself and a few others went up to help them get their networks back online and recover from the cyclone. I still keep in contact with one of the guys up there. It was hard work, but extremely rewarding.”

When we asked Jeremy what he loves about living in the Scenic Rim, he didn’t hesitate.

“To drive around my area and to see the views that I see every day... I still love seeing them. I don't see myself leaving in a hurry. I just drove around half of Australia last year, but I'll still come home to the Scenic Rim. No traffic helps!”

We’re sure it does! Thanks, Jeremy, for sharing your Scenic Rim story with us!

02/06/2025

Some of our lab and field crews picked up paintbrushes this week to express their own water story.

It was another way our people could learn firsthand how First Nations people connect with water through painting techniques and traditions, as part of National Reconciliation Week.

These water stories workshops, led by proud Eastern Arrernte and Wahlabul man, Ambrose from Amiwarre, are part of our education program in classrooms right across our region.

Ambrose also shared a personal story of where his family hailed from and how his art reflects his deep connections to Country, community, family, water, and storytelling.

Check out the artists within our depot in Acacia Ridge and labs in Darra!

31/05/2025

Update: 4:30PM 5 June
⚠ This advice has been lifted. ⚠

Our sampling results show the impacts of this release have been resolved. The signs will be taken down at public access points in the coming days.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we complete this once-in-a-generation renewal of the Bulimba-Hamilton Siphon.

⚠️ Brisbane River Alert: Please temporarily avoid contact with the river between Vic Lucas Park at Bulimba and Colmslie Beach Reserve at Murarrie.

A wastewater release has occurred due to wet weather during a critical project, the renewal of the Bulimba-Hamilton Siphon.

We understand this may be disruptive for river users and we apologise for any inconvenience or concern.

Thank you for your patience during the Bulimba-Hamilton Siphon Renewal Program – a once-in-a-generation infrastructure renewal project.

For more information visit https://urbanu.com.au/riveralert