3 March
Goulburn Valley Water has started a comprehensive investigation of options for the long-term supply of drinking water to the Longwood community.
Since the January fires the town’s water supply has successfully been maintained despite the Longwood Water Treatment Plant being offline.
Customers have continued to receive safe and reliable drinking water through a water carting program, which has seen trucks transport water daily from the Seymour Water Treatment Plant to Longwood’s storage tanks.
Two new storage tanks have been installed to support the carting activities, increasing the town’s storage capacity and improving reliability while long-term solutions are identified.
General Manager Planning and Assets, Regan Flanagan, said the assessment process would guide the future direction for Longwood’s water security.
“We ask for patience as we investigate every option to come up with the most effective way of ensuring our customers receive the reliability and quality they deserve,” Mrs Flanagan said.
“Water carting will continue for as long as required to maintain supply throughout the assessment period”.
Prior to the fires, Longwood’s raw water supply was sourced from Nine Mile Creek and treated at the Longwood Water Treatment Plant.
The treatment plant and the Nile Mile Creek catchment was heavily affected by fire, and the damage has meant no water has been able to be treated at the site since January.
Goulburn Valley Water has a team in place, which is working on investigating the options for future water supply to Longwood, and will engage directly with the Longwood community as part of the options assessment.
Water remains vital to the social, environmental and economic wellbeing of rural towns, and Goulburn Valley Water is committed to delivering a solution that meets Longwood’s needs now and into the future.
