Water supply hits 80% bore

Hamish Heard
The region’s water users will tomorrow turn on their taps to an added dose of bore water after the completion of a major borefield upgrade in the Otways.
The beefedup Barwon Downs borefield was set to begin operation a day after the region’s water authority announced drinking supplies had dropped below 15 per cent.
Water Minister John Thwaites was today due to cut the ribbon on the $1.4 million project to add 55 million litres a day to the region’s supplies.
The borefield’s enhanced capacity will mean borewater supplies the equivalent of 80 per cent of the region’s daily consumption.
But Barwon Water chief executive Dennis Brockenshire insisted the increased bore water content would not leave a foul taste in users’ mouths.
“Water from the borefield is blended with surface water at Wurdee Boluc Reservoir before entering the Wurdee Boluc water treatment plant,” Mr Brockenshire said.
“Customers will not notice any change in water quality following the increase in groundwater transferred from Barwon Downs borefield to Wurdee Boluc Reservoir.”
Mr Brockenshire said the borefield enhancements had safeguarded the region against running out of water.
“In comparison to other areas in Victoria, Barwon Water was fortunate because the groundwater resources in our region meant we would not run of water,” Mr Brockenshire said.
A second borefield project at Anglesea would add a further 20 million litres a day to the region’s supplies by next year.
Mr Brockenshire said the region’s storages had this week dropped to 14.7 per cent capacity.
Nearly 11 millimetres of rain in the region’s catchments this week failed to run off into reservoirs, Mr Brockenshire said.
He praised consumers’ conservation efforts, saying consumption reduced 24 per cent to 71 megalitres a day in April.
“Our customers have been terrific,” he said.
“Since the introduction of stage four water restrictions, water consumption has decreased significantly.”