Desalinated water order to flow to Geelong

THE Victorian government has placed a 50 gigalitre water order at the Victorian Desalination Plant following the impacts of drying conditions.

Announced on April 4 by Minister for Water Gayle Tierney during a visit to Geelong, the order will ensure there is enough drinking water after Geelong’s storage hit a six year low of 42.2 per cent.

“We’re making sure that families in Geelong and Melbourne have access to an affordable, safe and secure water supply and the Desalination Plant is critical to delivering this,” Ms Tierney said.

“We know that in a severe drought storage levels can drop by 20 per cent in as little as a year, which is why we’re acting now to avoid water restrictions and put us in a strong position for the long term.”

The order follows independent advice from Victorian water corporations and takes into account storage levels, future demands and forecast climate conditions.

A major upgrade of the Melbourne Geelong Pipeline is also under way to help supplement regional water supplies, increasing the capacity and expanding the reach of the pipeline across Geelong, the Bellarine and Surf Coast.

The pipeline connects Geelong’s storage basins at Lovely Banks with the Melbourne supply networks, and can supplement the existing supply system in response to dry conditions.

Barwon Water managing director Shaun Cumming said the pipeline is an important source in supplementing the existing supply system.

“The pipeline upgrade will ensure Barwon Water can continue to provide high quality, affordable, and secure services to our customers,” he said.

“This is part of a balanced approach to managing resources and providing greater water security, as our region’s population grows.”

Upgrades will take the annual capacity of the Melbourne Geelong Pipeline from 16,000 million litres per year to 22,000 million litres per year. Works are expected to be completed later this year.

For more information, head to yoursay.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/melbourne-geelong-pipeline