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Water Restrictions Go Down To Stage 3 For Mitchell River Customers

East Gippsland Water is pleased to announce that water restrictions for its 17,000 customers reliant on the Mitchell River System will be reduced from Stage 4 (Critical) to Stage 3 (High) from midnight on Friday night, 29 June.

By East Gippsland Water - 22nd June 2007 - Back to News

The move has been made possible as water production from specially installed emergency infrastructure continues to exceed demand, providing a useful surplus to boost water levels in depleted Mitchell River storages such as Woodglen Reservoir.

Customers affected are those connected to an urban water supply in Bairnsdale, Lindenow, Lindenow South, Walpa, Eagle Point, Newlands Arm, Raymond Island, Paynesville, Sarsfield, Bruthen, Nicholson, Johnsonville, Swan Reach, Metung, Kalimna, Lakes Entrance, Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust, Lake Tyers Beach and surrounding areas.

One major difference under Stage 3 Water Restrictions is that customers will be able to use a hand held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle to water garden areas (not lawns) between 7pm and 10pm.

East Gippsland Water’s Chief Executive Officer, Les Mathieson, said: "This reduction in water restrictions owes a great deal to the incredible commitment shown by our staff and contractors over the past months. They have been working round the clock installing and operating the variety of infrastructure needed to treat Mitchell River water, which is still heavily contaminated with soil and debris following bushfires many months ago.

"Their hard work and highly skilled approach to tackling the water problem is resulting in very encouraging and consistent levels of drinking water production, putting us on track to have Mitchell River storages full in time for the summer season.

"A big thank you to customers as well for their patience, cooperation and conscientious efforts to conserve water over the past months.

"While reverting to Stage 3 restrictions is good news and a move in the right direction, there’s some way to go before we can remove water restrictions completely. The recent heavy rainfall is welcome but has made little impact on the overall water supply. We’d still urge everyone to save water where they can and ensure they adhere to the restrictions that apply, so that we can look at lowering the level of restrictions again as soon as possible."

The ten water clarifiers located next to Woodglen Reservoir are successfully cleaning some ten megalitres of poor quality water from the Mitchell River each day (enough to fill ten Olympic size swimming pools), with emergency and farm water bores, along with water settlement dams, also providing useful quantities of water. There is plenty scope for overall production from this infrastructure to be stepped up further over coming weeks.
A brochure detailing all the stages of water restrictions is available from East Gipplsand Water’s Bairnsdale office (133 Macleod Street) during office hours and the Lakes Entrance depot at the end of Golf Links Road, between 9am and 10am weekdays.

Details of water restrictions can also be found on the Authority’s website www.egwater.vic.gov.au

Fore more information, customers can call East Gippsland Water’s hotline on 1300 720 700.

WHAT ARE THE STAGE 3 RESTRICTIONS?

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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