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Fewer complain over drought-hit water qualityCOMPLAINTS about water quality in the Westernport Water region fell in 2006/07 according to the State Government watchdog. By Susan Webster - 30th April 2008 - Back to News The annual review of drinking water quality across the state found that number of Westernport Water customer complaints fell in 2006/07.
Most complaints received by the water corporation were due to the effects of the drought, the official review noted.
"The majority of complaints occurred in February 2007 with 22 colour complaints, followed by June 2007 with 17 complaints," the report said. "These complaints were most likely due to the manganese and iron issues in the water supply."
Part of the problem is geographical, according to the report. "Westernport Water’s discoloured water complaints were also related to naturally-occurring manganese in their raw water storage area, which was exacerbated by the low storage levels."
But the levels presented no health risk, according to the Annual Report on Drinking Water Quality in Victoria, recently released by the Department of Human Services’ Drinking Water Regulatory Section.
"The levels of manganese in the water were not at a level that would impact on health human, but they caused aesthetic issues for customers," according to the report. "All results were below the health-related guideline for manganese.
"Elevated levels of iron and manganese are an ongoing issue for Westernport Water and the causes appear to be drought-related."
Almost all drinking water in the region complied with the water quality standards during
2006/07, and the nine incidents "were only marginally above the standard", the government report said. "Non-complying localities were flushed when possible and no further actions were required."
Drought was to blame, according to the report: "The variability of the raw water quality is related to the drought conditions being experienced by the region".
Westernport Water’s Manager - Assets and Operations, Steven Porter said: "The drought has presented us with many challenges in terms of water quantity and quality.
"We thank our staff, especially our water treatment operators, who had to work with water of highly variable quality. The newly installed SCADA computer was doubtless an important factor, but the staff at Candowie displayed great skill and application in maintaining water quality.
"And, most importantly, we thank our customers for their patience. It was a challenge that we all handled together and this is recognised in the government report."
The report noted that an upgrade of treatment processes at the plant during the latter part of the reporting period was expected to "significantly" reduce risk.
Mr Porter said: "Considerable work was done on reviewing and updating the procedures for testing at the plant. This provided a higher level of certainty in selecting and modifying chlorine and other chemical dose rates."
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: susanw@ptarmigan.com.au
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