GWMWater is a water supplier within the terms of the Safe Drinking Water Act 2003, which provides a legislative framework for assuring drinking water quality in Victoria.
We work hard to provide as many of our customers as possible with access to safe, high-quality drinking water that consistently meets consumer and regulatory requirements. Our region has 18 water treatment plants that supply treated water to 89 percent of our urban customers.
Use the table below to find out how your drinking water is treated.
| Town | Treatment process | Chemicals used in treatment process |
| Ararat |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, fluoride, pH correction |
Lime, potassium permanganate, powdered activated carbon, aluminium sulphate, chlorine, fluorosilicic acid |
|
Birchip |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction |
Sulphuric acid, polyaluminium chloride, chlorine |
|
Charlton |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction |
Sulphuric acid, polyaluminium chloride, chlorine |
|
Dimboola |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction |
Sodium hydroxide, aluminium sulphate, chlorine |
| Donald |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction (receives water from St Arnaud) |
Aluminium sulphate, sodium hydroxide, chlorine |
| Edenhope |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, desalination, disinfection |
Polyaluminium chloride, chlorine |
| Great Western |
Microfiltration, disinfection, pH correction |
Sulphuric acid, polyaluminium chloride, sodium hydroxide, chlorine |
| Halls Gap |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction |
Lime, aluminium sulphate, chlorine |
| Hopetoun |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, desalination, disinfection, pH correction |
Soda ash, aluminium sulphate, chlorine |
| Horsham |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, fluoridation, pH correction (receives water from Horsham, Mt Zero) |
Lime, aluminium sulphate, chlorine, carbon dioxide, fluorosilicic acid |
| Jeparit |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, desalination, disinfection, pH correction (receives water from Rainbow) |
Sulphuric acid, polyaluminium chloride, soda ash, chlorine |
| Lake Bolac |
Microfiltration, disinfection- receives water from Willaura |
Soda ash, calcite, aluminium sulphate, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite, carbon dioxide, ammonia, chlorine |
| Manangatang |
Disinfection, AMIAD filtration |
Ultrion 44560 Coagulant, chlorine |
| Minyip |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction (receives water from Murtoa) |
Sodium hydroxide, aluminium sulphate, chlorine |
| Murtoa |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction |
Sodium hydroxide, aluminium sulphate, chlorine |
| Natimuk |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, fluoridation, pH correction (receives water from Horsham, Mt Zero) |
Lime, aluminium sulphate, chlorine, carbon dioxide, fluorosilicic acid |
| Nhill |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction (receives water from Dimboola) |
Sodium hydroxide, aluminium sulphate, chlorine |
| Ouyen |
Microfiltration, disinfection |
Polyaluminium chloride, chlorine |
| Pomonal |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction (receives water from Halls Gap) |
Lime, aluminium sulphate, chlorine |
| Quambatook |
pH correction, coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air floatation, media filtration, carbon filtration, disinfection |
Sulphuric Acid, aluminium chlorohydrate, chlorine |
| Rainbow |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, desalination, disinfection, pH correction |
Sulphuric acid, polyaluminium chloride, soda ash, chlorine |
| Rupanyup |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction (receives water from Murtoa) |
Sodium hydroxide, aluminium sulphate, chlorine |
| Sea Lake |
Disinfection |
Chlorine |
| St Arnaud |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction |
Aluminium sulphate, sodium hydroxide, chlorine |
| Stawell |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction |
Carbon dioxide, sodium hypochlorite, lime, aluminium sulphate, chlorine |
| Underbool |
Coagulation, sand filtration, pH correction |
Sulphuric acid, polyaluminium chloride, chlorine |
| Warracknabeal | Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction | Powdered activated carbon, lime, aluminium sulphate, chlorine |
| Willaura |
Microfiltration, disinfection |
Soda ash, calcite, aluminium sulphate, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite, carbon dioxide, ammonia, chlorine |
| Wycheproof |
Coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, disinfection, pH correction (receives water from Charlton) |
Sulphuric acid, polyaluminium chloride, chlorine |
What is the water quality in your town?
GWMWater tests your water quality regularly to ensure that it is fit for purpose.
GWMWater's Customer Portal is a free online system that allows you to monitor your water use using your smart phone, tablet, laptop or home computer. It's already available to our rural customers and after making some upgrades to the system, the Portal is now available for urban customers. For access to the Customer Portal update your details now.
Water usage data is collected by a remote electronic device installed on your water meter.
This data allows you to:
- monitor your water use anytime
- monitor your water allowance and receive alerts if you're going to exceed it
- be alerted to potential water leaks or high use (via SMS or email)
- create your own alerts, for example, for low water consumption where stock are grazing.
Update your details now for access to the Customer Portal
How the Customer Portal detects potential leaks
Customer Portal monitors the water through your meter over 48 hour periods.
Because, typically, you don't use water all day every day, Customer Portal expects the flow to stop going through the meter at some point during each 48 hour period. If it doesn't and the flow is continuous, an alert maybe triggered. This doesn't mean that you definitely have a leak, rather that a pattern similar to that of a leak has been detected.
If you get a potential leak alert:
- Review your usage over the previous 48 hours - you may have used the water legitimately and may not have a leak at all.
- If you can, isolate sections of your reticulation and observe your meter on Customer Portal to see if you can pinpoint the section with the leak.
- Check tanks and above ground pipe fittings that may be leaking.
- Inspect your on-farm pipe routes and look for wet soil or green patches.
- If you find and repair a leak, keep checking Customer Portal to make sure it's fixed. It’s possible that you may also have more than one leak!
Wimmera River diverters (below Glenorchy weir)
The trigger which permits Wimmera River surface water licence holders below Glenorchy Weir to access to access 100% of their licence volume was met in late July 2023. As of 1 August 2023, Wimmera River surface water licence holders below Glenorchy Weir are permitted access up to 100% of their irrigation or commercial licence volume during 2023-24 year.
Wimmera River trigger rules
Licenced irrigators may take 50% of their licenced volume through an approved meter when: A minimum of 8,000 ML has flowed through the Glenorchy gauging station between May and August of the calendar year.
Licenced irrigators may take 100% of their licenced volume through an approved meter when: a minimum of 10,000 ML has flowed through the Glenorchy gauging station at any time during the calendar year.
Avoca River diverters (below Charlton weir)
The trigger which allows Avoca River surface water licence holders downstream of Charlton Weir to access water under their irrigation or commercial licence during 2023-24 year was deemed to have been satisfied on 6 July 2023. Avoca River surface water licence holders below Charlton Weir are now permitted to extract water for irrigation or commercial uses during 2023-24 year, where river flows allow.
Avoca River trigger rules
The rules to determine if a 'take and use' allocation can be allowed are:
A flow rate of at least 100 ML/day must be recorded at the Quambatook South flow gauge, and river flow must have reached Lake Bael Bael, before water can be extracted for irrigation or commercial purposes. Once water has reached Lake Bael Bael and there is adequate flow in the river to allow irrigation, diversions can commence.
Further information...More about 'taking and using' surface water Depending where you’re located in our region, you may be eligible to apply to harvest and use surface rainfall runoff, including from streams, rivers, creeks and catchment dams. |
To use groundwater for irrigation or other commercial purposes, you must have a ‘take and use’ licence.
How to apply
To get a ‘take and use’ licence you can either:
1. Apply for a new licence
Licence to Take and Use Groundwater and Operate Works TU1 (271kB)
2. Apply to renew your existing licence
Renew a Licence to Take and Use Groundwater and Operate Works GWR1 (266kB)
3. Transfer an existing licence from another landowner
Permanent or temporary transfer of water for a take and use licence TU3 (358kB)
Transfer of licence ownership on the sale of land TOL1 (234kB)
If you no longer need your ‘take and use’ licence, you can surrender it:
Surrender a licence to take and use water and operate works TU4 (217kB)
Further information...In the interests of the environment, the community and fairness, it's important for people to follow the rules regarding taking and using rural water. Many people taking and using rural water illegally may not realise they're doing so. It's essential that you, as a rural water user, understand your rights and obligations concerning our water resources.
Water costs vary depending on a number of factors and can change from year to year. |
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