Coliban Water Managing Director

We are currently upgrading treatment plants in Bendigo, Castlemaine and Kyneton. The reality for these towns is that because of this we cannot ease restrictions beyond those recently announced.

This is a statement of fact which is drawing a mixed reaction from some parts of the community. Other parts of the community are criticising Coliban because they believe that restrictions should stay in place.

Our view (which has been previously stated) is that we should be able to offer the community choice about their water use, but this choice shouldn’t be at the expense of future water security.

There are a range of reasons for the treatment plant upgrades, some of it strategic in nature and some of it part of routine maintenance.

These investments are not about trying to ease restrictions as fast as possible to increase our revenue and dwindle away water that has recently found its way to our storages.

We are investing in these upgrades to deal with the realities of climate change.  The upgrade works include back up generators to deal with the increased likelihood of power outages and the ability to treat water from multiple sources.

Our plan is to ensure that the harsh restrictions of recent times become a thing of the past. To do this means being more conservative in how we allocate water, how much we put aside for future  year and have infrastructure in place that can manage a range of possible  futures.

This would enable us to offer choice without there being impacts on others.

Recent history has shown us that weather patterns have changed, one wet winter doesn’t break a drought.

In Perth last year, they had their best inflow season for 15 years with 140 gigalitres (long term average 300 gigalitres). This year they have had 9 gigalitres year to date.

There’s a lesson in this for us.

We will continue to be conservative and considered.

Gavin

This is the latest storage graph (as of this morning).  Our storage’s are clearly recovering, but has the drought broken?   One wet year after fifteen of dry doesn’t break a drought. Importantly, we have had about 25,000Megalitres of inflow which is a long way from the long term average of about 60,000.

Our approach to allocating water will be considered. This means will be ensuring we take a long term view with our allocations and keep an adequate buffer to ensure that any change in restriction can be for a long time. We will also  continue with our strategic investments in infrastructure that help ensure that we dont return to harsh restrictions any time soon.

This includes upgrades to treatment plants at Bendigo,  Castlemaine and Kyneton.

gavin

Over the last couple of months our storages have increased from 10%  to 41%  of capacity (measured this morning).

Travelling around I hear a range of comments about easing restrictions,  ranging from Coliban should ease restriction straight away to Coliban water should leave the current restrictions  in place  as people are used to them.

Our approach is to ease restrictions when it is reasonable to do. This means not putting the two year supply buffer at risk.

Interested in your views….

Gavin

This is the change in storage contents for July. Its starting to look promising.  These three storages combined are now at 30% of capacity which is the best position since late 2005.

Traditionally,  September and October bring the most inflows,  lets see what happens next.  Gavin

The above graph shows that we have had below average rainfall during Autumn since 1979.  Whilst not  necessarily contributing directly to inflows during this time they  are essential for starting to wet the catchment.

In the first two weeks of winter we have had more inflows that the total of 2006…..

Over the last couple of days we have had about 400Ml.

Whilst this is a great start to the season, our storages are still at historic lows.  Lets not count our chickens just yet…Gavin

I have inserted the latest storage contents.  Its very promising that this is the earliest time  in a year that storages have started to improve for along time……gavin

I wish to clearly articulate  Colibans position on easing restrictions in Bendigo further to the Bendigo Weekly’s Web article today.

Coliban Water will ease restrictions when it is responsible to do so.

This means that we have to be confident that easing restrictions will not put our 2 year reserve of water at risk.

Further to this, to supply greater volumes of water, we have to upgrade  our Bendigo water  treatment plant.

We are aiming to have this complete early in the new year.

We will continue to monitor inflows and allocations regularly.

Gavin

Water consumption has dropped substantially during April. Most our towns are using less water than predicted.  Castlemaine for example is using the equivalent of the still being stage 4ge even though they are on stage 3.  There was a little rain during April which will have contributed to this.

We are yet to have any substanital rain for May so we are expecting it to increase back in line with predictions.

Gavin