Sources & supply

Water at a glance

• Council issues water usage charges three times per year.
• We adopt a ‘user pays’ method to encourage water conservation – the less you use, the less you pay.
• A typical Cairns resident uses around 280 litres of drinking water per day.
• Residential properties pay $1.87 for 1000 litres of drinking water.
• Commercial properties pay $1.96 for 1000 litres of drinking water.

Water sources

The Cairns community is supplied with water from Copperlode Falls Dam and Behana Creek. Water from Copperlode Dam supplies areas to the north of Cairns and the Cairns city. The Behana Creek source supplies areas south of Cairns as well as the Cairns city. This raw water is treated at Council's treatment plants and then stored in our 68 reservoirs.

Council's YouTube site Water infrastructure provides a technical account (with subtitles) of water and wastewater infrastructure for professionals and specialist authorities.

Copperlode Falls Dam

Copperlode Falls Dam is the main supply of water for the Cairns Region. The dam has a total capacity of 38,400 megalitres (ML) which is approximately 15,000 olympic swimming pools. The dam is designed to capture some of our high seasonal rainfall and provides a reliable water source for homes and businesses in the region.

Behana Creek

Behana Creek provides run-of-river water extraction and is the region's second major source of water.

Rural intakes

Council also has several low volume, run-of-river water sources that supply towns and suburbs in the southern Cairns region. These include Majuba Creek, Joyce/Worth Creek, Pugh Creek, Frenchman Creek, Junction Creek, Fishery Creek, Little Mulgrave and Mick Creek.

Boil water notification

Cairns Regional Council advises that where Boil Water Notification signs are in place at public water supplies the following precautions must be adhered to for safe human consumption of the water.

Customers should bring water to a boil by heating the water until a continuous and rapid stream of air-bubbles is produced from the bottom of a pan or kettle. Kettles with automatic cut-off switches are suitable. Variable temperature kettles should be set to boil.
After heating, water must be allowed to cool before using it, and be stored in a clean, closed container for later use. Care should be taken to avoid scalding injuries.

Customers should boil all water used for:

• Drinking
• Brushing teeth
• Washing and preparing food or beverages
• Preparing baby formula
• Making ice.

Unboiled water can be used for:

• Showering and bathing (avoid swallowing water). As a precaution babies and toddlers should be sponge bathed to prevent them swallowing water
• Washing dishes by hand or in a dishwasher, providing dishes are air-dried before being used after washing
• Washing clothes.

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 2024-2025

The Drinking Water Service Annual Report ( PDF, 5.18 MB ) describes Council’s operational performance with drinking water quality, and reports on activities detailed in Council’s Drinking Water Quality Management Plan (DWQMP).

The report outlines how Council has adhered to its DWQMP, met approval conditions, and otherwise complied with the requirements of the Public Health Act 2005.