Aquifer plan ‘wastesful’ MP in attack on water boss

A federal MP has attacked the boss of Barwon Water for revealing his authority could use a new groundwater supply to remove watering restrictions.
Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman accused Michael Malouf of threatening a return to the region’s “wasteful” past use of water.
Mr Cheeseman called for Mr Malouf to “rethink” Barwon Water’s strategy to meet demand.
The Labor MP wanted restrictions to remain in some “form” regardless of how much water could flow from new sources such as the Anglesea aquifer.
The Independent reported in May that Mr Malouf had told a developers’ lobby group meeting the Anglesea aquifer could increase the region’s water supply 30 per cent for 50 years. The extra water could allow his authority to remove restrictions by 2010 if the aquifer supply project passed final environmental tests, he told the group.
Mr Cheeseman said Mr Malouf would be wrong to consider groundwater as an opportunity for “open slather” use of water.
“Michael Malouf’s thinking is out of step with community expectations,” Mr Cheeseman said.
“Even if it (groundwater) gives us the capacity to remove the restrictions we should not go down that path.
“I don’t really care how much we increase our capacity to supply water. We should not throw away the community expectations that have built up over the past five or six years (of restrictions) and return to a past where we used water willy-nilly.”
Mr Cheeseman said the community had adapted to restrictions.
“Regardless of what mechanisms are coming on line (to increase supply), the majority would like to see a form of restrictions in place to make sure we don’t become wasteful again.”
Mr Cheeseman urged Barwon Water to “add” recycling to its supply strategy.
“We have enormous opportunities for recycling in our region and, to be frank, we are not doing what the community expects.
“I call on (Barwon Water) to include recycling water as the third string in our bow.”
A Barwon Water spokesperson said ground water was “critical” to the region’s supply.
“Used conjunctively with other water sources, it provides Geelong with enormous flexibility during prolonged dry periods,” the spokesperson said.
“This resource has proven its worth time and again. In fact, it has been the city’s saviour during the drought.”
The spokesperson said Barwon Water used groundwater under “strict licence conditions” only when surface supplies dropped to critical levels.
“Investigations to date support Barwon Water’s estimate of a 7000-million-litre-a-year sustainable yield.”
The spokesperson said Barwon Water was investigating a range of options for using recycled supplies. Examples included new recycling plants at Black Rock and Corio.
The authority’s nine reclamation plants were already supplying three million litres of recycled water to various customers, the spokesperson said.