Borewater brings end of restrictions in sight

Alex de Vos
Geelong could be off water restrictions as early as February after authorities won a green light this week to pump billions of litres a year from an Anglesea borefield.
Barwon Water managing director Michael Malouf told the Independent the authority would “review” restrictions in February following ongoing analysis of the borefield as extraction increased.
The borefield will supply water to Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, Torquay, Anglesea, Winchelsea, Lara and Bannockburn.
State Government this week approved Barwon Water to take an average 7000 million litres of water a year from the borefield aquifer, which runs from the Otway Ranges to near Anglesea.
“Anglesea will come on line progressively from the start of summer and will boost storage levels significantly over time,” Mr Malouf said.
“By February we will have a good indication of how this new water source is performing and the implications for restrictions.”
Mr Malouf said existing restrictions, which allow watering gardens with trigger-nozzle hoses for one hour twice a week, would remain in place.
“Certainly, a number of solutions to water security, including Anglesea, are being implemented but until they are fully operational, and because of the current storage situation, stage four restrictions are appropriate,” Mr Malouf said.
Last year Mr Malouf told the Independent the borefield supply could allow Barwon Water to remove restrictions.
He said the project could also lead to State Government deferring a $120 million plan to connect the region to Melbourne’s water supply by 2011 if the borefield was “viable”.
But this week Mr Malouf said the Melbourne-Geelong pipeline was essential to provide “long-term water security” for the Geelong region.
“The interconnection will deliver 16,000 million litres of water a year, equivalent to half the region’s current usage,” Mr Malouf said.
“When combined with other major projects such as the Anglesea borefield and Northern Water Plant, it will provide an additional 75 per cent of current demand.
“These projects will ensure we have safe, reliable water to meet future development in one of the fastest-growing areas of Victoria.”