Media Releases
MELBOURNE'S WATER SUPPLIES RECEIVE A WELCOME BOOST
From the Premier
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Premier John Brumby and Water Minister Tim Holding today officially opened the $97 million Tarago Water Treatment Plant at Drouin West, which will provide on average an additional 15 billion litres of water each year to Melbourne’s water supplies.
“This Government is undertaking record investment in major water projects in Victoria which is securing water supplies during the longest drought on record and securing jobs now in a tough global environment,” Mr Brumby said.
“Our Government has committed $2.8 billion to water projects, with water authorities spending an additional $5.3 billion. These projects are transforming the state and reducing our reliance on rainfall as we face the reality of climate change.
“The reconnection of Tarago Reservoir is $3 million under budget and six months ahead of schedule providing a welcome boost to our low water supplies. There were also 150 jobs created during construction.”
Melbourne’s water supplies are currently at 26.3 per cent – an increase of 0.7 percentage points as a result of the reconnection. The new plant has the capacity to treat up to 25 billion litres of water a year, depending on rainfall and inflows into Tarago Reservoir.
The Tarago Reservoir was disconnected from Melbourne’s network in 1994 because water from its open catchment was not suitable and the city’s storages were about 90 per cent full.
A state-of-the-art treatment plant has been constructed by Melbourne Water using the latest water treatment technology to ensure it meets Melbourne’s high standard of water quality. Construction started on the treatment plant in October 2007.
The supply of treated drinking water from Tarago Reservoir to almost 100,000 households in Westernport and the Mornington Peninsula has undergone successful testing and preliminary distribution over the past fortnight.
Mr Brumby said other major projects to come online as part of Victoria’s Water Plan include:
• The Sugarloaf Pipeline which will transfer on average 75 billion litres to Melbourne from 2010;
• Victoria’s Desalination Plant which will provide 150 billion litres of water regardless of rainfall from the end of 2011; and
• The Food Bowl Modernisation Project – which will save on average 425 billion litres of water for farmers, rivers and Melbourne.
“In times of drought and climate change we need to diversify our water sources which is why we are building Australia’s largest desalination plant, capturing losses from irrigation upgrades and increasing the use of recycled water,” he said.
Mr Holding said it was vital that households and industry continued to save water as these major water projects came online.
“Melburnians are doing a great job saving water with water use down almost 10 billion litres compared to the same time last year since Target 155 was introduced,” Mr Holding said.
“The combination of Stage 3a water restrictions and Target 155 is saving a similar volume of water to having Stage 4 water restrictions in place.”
Last week Melburnians used on average 136 litres per person per day, the 15th week in a row that Melbourne has achieved the target. Stage 3a and Target 155 will remain in place until at least the end of November.
Mr Holding also thanked staff who had helped protect the treatment plant from bushfires on Black Saturday.
“The contribution of staff to protect the treatment plant and to assist authorities to fight the fires burning in the Tarago catchment was amazing. We cannot thank them enough,” he said.
“While the February fires burnt out about half the Tarago catchment, there was no impact on water quality, and the new treatment plant will provide an additional safeguard in the future.”
The Tarago Water Treatment Plant was delivered for Melbourne Water by Baulderstone, United Group, GHD and Sinclair Knight Merz.
Melbourne Water will continue to share water from Tarago with Gippsland Water to supply local communities, as well as irrigators serviced by Southern Rural Water.
