Water utility surveying customers

AN annual customer satisfaction survey is underway at Central Highlands Water with the aim of collecting data to review and improve performance.

Throughout the next five weeks, consumers are encouraged to complete the water utility’s questionnaire and offer feedback on CHW’s service provision.

Managing director Jeff Haydon said community conversations are always key to long-term strategic planning.

Some randomly selected people will be contacted by phone, with the option of taking part in a 10-minute survey, while others will receive an email asking questions.

The local government areas of Ballarat, Golden Plains, Central Goldfields, Hepburn, Pyrenees, Northern Grampians, Moorabool and Corangamite are part of the 9275-square-kilometre CHW catchment, and the utility is in charge of 15 water supply and 13 wastewater systems.

CHW staff completed a new Urban Water Strategy in late July, mapping out their plans for the next 50 years of service provision throughout this broad and growing region.

With an aim to keep the delivery of water affordable, safe, efficient, and consistent, the plan outlined supply and demand, wastewater capacity, the impacts of the changing climate and increasing population, regulations, and policies.

At the same time, the water board released a 2022 Drought Preparedness Plan, covering water resource storage levels, good water-saving habits, and major weather events that can interrupt the usual water supply process.

Australian contractors Insync and TKW Research are collecting the customer satisfaction survey data.