Locals urged to monitor for water leaks

Port Campbell, Peterborough and Timboon residents are being urged to be extra vigilant about reporting any water leaks or burst pipes around their towns over the next few months.

We’ve started drilling a new bore at Port Campbell to provide additional security of supply. The existing bore was installed in 1996 and is now half-way through its expected lifespan.

The groundwater sourced from the bore is treated and then distributed to Port Campbell, Timboon, and Peterborough. Supply has also expanded to the 12 Apostles Visitor Centre.

The project is part of Wannon Water’s proactive approach to maintaining our assets and will ensure we can continue to provide reliable, secure services for the community for decades to come.

The existing bore will need to be periodically taken offline during the work.

We have a large, covered basin in Timboon that stores treated water and we’ll be relying on this to supply customers in the three towns during this period as well as using our existing town storages.

We’ve scheduled the work to take advantage of a typically low water demand period, However, with the reduced storage capacity available, it’s particularly important that local residents and businesses become extra mindful of their water usage.

Crews are also on standby to identify, isolate and repair any water leaks or burst water pipes as soon as possible.

We’re appealing for people to help us by reporting any water flows that don’t appear to be normal as a priority. You might notice them where our pipes, valves and hydrants are located underneath and along streets, nature strips or footpaths. Even if you’re not sure, please report the location as soon as possible so we can investigate.

People may notice the drilling rig on site at our Port Campbell Water Treatment Plant off Lord Street. We’ve installed a noise barrier to reduce the impacts on the surrounding area while the drilling takes place.

Once the bore is developed, we’ll need to remove the initial water which is cloudy and silty. This will be disposed of via a 2.5-kilometre long temporary pipeline. It will run from the site, along the side of the Great Ocean Road and then along the Cobden – Port Campbell Road to Currells Road where it will connect with our South Otway pipeline discharge point.

We’ll be using culverts to ensure the pipeline does not interfere with traffic flow at driveways and other property access points.