Water storage projects crucial for remote communities

Two water storage projects in the remote Victorian communities of Mallacoota and Omeo in East Gippsland will ensure secure drinking water for the townships, after being opened by Victorian Minister for Water Peter Walsh today.

“The projects at Mallacoota and Omeo are excellent examples of cost-effective safeguards against extreme weather events, and both have been completed on time and within budget,” said Walsh of the projects, totalling $1.2 million.

Omeo’s project involved the construction of a 10 million litre storage area, which has tripled the town’s water-holding capacity. The $800,000 project means water can be held in times of large water flows and used during stints of dry weather when water flows are insufficient.

The project at Mallacoota sees its second town drinking water storage area now protected by shade cloth to improve water quality for the 41 million litre store.

The $400,000 project, of which the Victorian Government contributed more than $240,000, “reduces the risk of soil, algal or airborne contamination and has cut evaporation by 90%, saving more than 7 million litres of water a year,” said Walsh.

East Gippsland Water delivered the Mallacoota and Omeo projects as part of a five-year, $67 million capital works program across the region to ensure the long-term security of water supplies for all communities.