Desal puts on pressure

By Danielle Galvin
DESALINATED water from the Wonthaggi desalination plant could be the answer to Kooweerup’s water pressure problems.
South East Water representatives spoke at the Kooweerup Township Committee meeting on 6 July, telling residents that the company was looking into fixing the problem.
Andrew Chapman, manager for Water Systems at South East Water, explained how the township’s water was sourced from the Tarago Resevoir.
Residents were told that constructing a new pipe from the desalination pipeline near Wonthaggi along Rossiter Road was a possible solution.
“The option would result in Kooweerup being serviced by majority desalinated water,” he said.
Mr Chapman predicted the new pipeline would deliver a 60 per cent increase in water pressure.
But he cautioned that the increase in pressure could come at a cost.
“There is a risk that some bursts may occur due to an increase in water pressure. As a result, South East Water would face some short-term costs,” he said.
South East Water representatives assured residents the quality of the water would not be compromised.
Mr Chapman said there was reason to believe that the taste and quality of the water could improve for the township, because of the fresher water supply.
“Water from the Tarago Reservoir which supplies Kooweerup and Lang Lang has a total salt level of approximately 120mg/L, which is a similar content expected for desalinated water,” he said.
Construction of the new pipe would take between two and six months, if South East Water decides to go ahead with the proposal.
“There would be no disruption to water supply. If the option was progressed construction would be undertaken during the 2011-2012 financial year,” he said.
Mr Chapman assured residents their voices would be heard.
“In the next two to five years, South East Water will have to go some way to increase water pressure in Kooweeup to ensure the demands of the growing population are met. Community views will be taken into account,” he said.
Residents in Lang Lang would also be affected if a pipe was built to connect to the desalination pipeline.
“In South East Water’s service area, if Kooweerup was to modify its water supply source to majority desalinated water, Lang Lang’s water supply would also be modified as the towns use the same pipe route,” he said.
President of the township committee, Frank Crameri, told the Gazette he was happy the representatives from South East Water were taking the issue seriously.
“The water pressure is quite bad and with the new developments on Denhams Road, it’s only going to cause more problems,” he said.
Mr Crameri said some residents were concerned about drinking desalinated water.
“I noticed that a few people seemed a bit uneasy about the possibility of drinking mainly desalinated water. But we were told it would be the easiest option and that the quality would be improved.”
The Kooweerup resident predicted the pipeline would be constructed in a few years.
“I think we still have a few years before anything will be done. But they’ve promised that they’ll consult the community all the way.”