Like many businesses, we are doing our part to assist in limiting the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and this involves changing the way we are working. This includes enabling staff to work from home and implementing social distancing practices.
As the situation evolves, we are committed in supporting our customers, community and staff. We are working quickly and thoughtfully as things progress and change.
We recognise our important role in providing essential services as well as supporting local community's health and economy. We take this role very seriously and are working hard to continue to deliver our usual high-quality service levels.
Boat ramp closures
To comply with the Victorian Government ‘Stay at Home’ period, boat ramps at GWMWater reservoirs are closed until further notice.
The closed boat ramps include:
- Lake Bellfield
- Lake Fyans
- Lake Lonsdale
- Moora Moora Reservoir
- Rocklands Reservoir
- Taylors Lake
- Lake Wartook
Under Stage 3 Restrictions, there are only four reasons to leave your home: food and supplies, medical care and caregiving, exercise, and work or education.
For more information about coronavirus and current restrictions, visit: coronavirus.vic.gov.au
Campground closures
Under advice from the Chief Health Officer, all GWMWater campsites, camping grounds and caravan parks will be closed from 5pm, Friday 27 March.
Day visitors are still permitted but social distancing requirements must be adhered to at all times.
The advice from the Victorian Chief Health Officer is to ensure that public gatherings of 500 or more people do not occur. Given the closures of other camp grounds across Victoria, GWMWater has decided to close these sites as a measure to protect the health of visitors and staff.
The campsite closures include:
- Lake Lonsdale
- Moora Moora Reservoir
- Taylors Lake
Please note that all camp grounds and caravan parks at or adjacent to GWMWater Reservoirs are also closed.
For more information about coronavirus and current restrictions, visit: coronavirus.vic.gov.au
Customer Service Centre
In order to protect both our customers and staff from the spread of infection, our Customer Service Centre in McLachlan Street, Horsham, will close temporarily from 5 pm on Monday 23 March 2020.
The Customer Call Centre and 24-hour service fault line remain fully operational.
Billing
We understand that coronavirus (COVID-19) may significantly impact household budgets and businesses.
If you are experiencing difficulty in paying your water and sewerage bill or are unable to pay due to the temporary closure of our Customer Service Centre, please get in touch with us as soon as possible so we can discuss your situation.
Water and sewer services
There is no evidence that drinking water will be affected by the COVID-19 virus or that it is transmitted by drinking water.
Sewage and trade waste will continue to be collected and treated by our systems to protect public health and the environment. We also take this opportunity to remind customers that our wastewater systems cannot handle wet wipes or paper towel and these should not be discharged into the wastewater system.
The Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) has also developed a fact sheet to provide facts about drinking water services and coronavirus (COVID-19). To view please visit https://www.wsaa.asn.au/publication/covid-19-fact-sheet
GWMWater is pleased to advise that the blue-green algae warning for Lake Lonsdale has been lifted with blue-green algae concentrations no longer being at levels that pose a potential health risk to recreational users.
Recent testing indicates that the water in the lake is safe for recreational activities, including swimming, boating, fishing and other water sports.
GWMWater will continue regular monitoring of Lake Lonsdale.
Media Release - Lake Lonsdale blue-green algae outbreak over
GWMWater will install new booster pumps at the Murrayville’s elevated water tower to increase water pressure by the end of April.
The booster pumps will take water from the tower and apply additional pressure into the reticulation which will, in-turn, increase the flow through customer water meters.
Media Release: Improved water pressure for Murrayville customers
Following the construction of the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline, the channel system and the infrastructure GWMWater used along the Dunmunkle Creek to operate it, became redundant. GWMWater is responsible for decommissioning the assets and infrastructure between Glenorchy and Boolite to return the creek to, as close to its natural state as practical.
Project Steering Committee
The Dunmunkle Creek Asset Decommissioning Project Steering Committee will oversee the decommissioning or hand over of assets.
The committee provides advice and information to GWMWater to ensure the project is both meeting its objectives and effectively engaging impacted stakeholders, including public and private land managers and the community.
GWMWater is seeking Expressions of Interest from landholders to fill up to four positions on the Project Steering Committee.
Members of the public are advised to avoid direct contact with water in Green Lake near Horsham after monitoring detected levels of blue green algae above levels considered safe for recreational use. For more information please refer to Horsham Rural City Council, or our Blue-Green Algae information page.
The seasonal restriction for licensed groundwater users in Neuarpur Sub-zone 1 will remain restricted to 80% of their licence volume for the 2020/21 season. This is in accordance with the West Wimmera Groundwater Management Area Local Management Plan.
Find out more about the West Wimmera Groundwater Management Area
In our current Tapping In - Edition 3 2019/20 customer newsletter, we share with you our travels around the region, visiting schools as part of National Water Week and celebrating a fully treated water supply in four Mallee towns. We also let you know about our project of installing solar panels at our operational sites to reduce our energy costs, along with communicating with our customers to meet customers' expectations. More topics in this edition so make sure you take some time to have a read.
** Answer our competition question about Permanent Water Saving Rules for a chance to win $100 off your next water bill **
To view past Tapping In editions, click on the heading.
Our customers told us what they most valued about our water and sewerage services. Read Our performance to see how our customers rated us!
Our 2019 Annual Water Outlook outlines the key water security information for all towns and rural pipeline customers supplied by us. An outlook for licenced surface water diverters and licenced groundwater users is also provided.
All Systems Summary: With the water resources available across all of GWMWater’s supply sources this season, no restrictions to urban or rural pipeline users are anticipated under normal operating conditions.
A full listing of towns, rural pipelines and their supply sources can be found here.
The Storage Manager has started a review of the Storage Management Rules for the for the Wimmera-Glenelg headworks system. The rules form the basis for how the system is operated day-to-day to support water security for the region.
The Minister for Water appointed GWMWater as the Storage Manager for Wimmera-Glenelg, however GWMWater is also an entitlement holder. To ensure the independence of the Storage Manager, governance arrangements are in place so that all entitlement holders and other key stakeholders are involved.
A specific governance arrangement has been set up for the purpose of the review which enables the Storage Manager to report directly to the GWMWater Board.
The review aims to improve and refine the current Storage Management Rules and operation of the Wimmera-Glenelg system, taking into consideration any new data, information and operational experience, to better meet the needs of entitlement holders and improve efficiency. This could include both the storage and delivery of water.
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