Despite a noticeable difference in taste and odour, Coliban Water has assured customers the drinking water does not pose any health risks.
Community members sourcing water from the Murray, Goulburn and Campaspe Rivers may have noticed a variation in odour and taste of their drinking water, but rigorous testing by Coliban Water has indicated the water is presently safe to consume.
Chief officer assets and operations Danny McLean said at this time of year, with warmer temperatures and changing conditions in rivers, streams and water storages, the job of treating and delivering safe drinking water could be extremely challenging.
“This summer, off the back of wet conditions and flooding, it’s even more difficult. The floods have seen levels of blue-green algae and other naturally occurring bacteria that create taste and odour issues increase in our rivers,” Mr McLean said.
“Our water treatment plants are working harder and taking longer to deliver the same quality product, and still meet increased customer demand for water during the summer months.”
Mr McLean said Coliban Water was aware of reports of a distinct taste and earthy odour to the drinking water.
“We do appreciate this change is unpleasant for some customers. However, their drinking water remains safe and meets all health-based Australian Drinking Water Guidelines,” he said.
“Our experts continue to revise and adjust treatment processes to suit local conditions and the poor quality of the raw water entering our treatment plants.”
The process of treating raw water sourced from rivers and turning it into a trusted drinking water supply is complex, and a number of naturally occurring substances can impact the water supply, even in very small amounts.
As a result of routine testing procedures, Mr McLean said elevated levels of a naturally occurring compound called geosmin have been detected in Echuca.
“While geosmin doesn’t impact the safety of drinking water, even at a concentration of just a 50 billionth of a part per litre, it can cause an earthy or musty odour,” he said.
“While we’ve adjusted our treatment process to remove as much of the geosmin compound as possible, the issue could persist until the quality of the raw water we are treating improves.”
For information about your town’s drinking supply, visit https://coliban.com.au/
Further information about the water treatment process and the impacts of poor raw water quality is also available at www.connect.coliban.com.au and on Coliban Water’s social media channels.