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WID water quality

In response to severe drought, Southern Rural Water has supplied recycled water from Melbourne Water’s Western Treatment Plant into the Werribee Irrigation District since 2004.

Over this time, the scheme has helped to ensure sustainable agriculture in Werribee.

The Regional Environment Improvement Plan has been developed by Melbourne Water and Southern Rural Water in collaboration with the Victorian EPA and other agencies.

It outlines environmental requirements for the supply and use of recycled water within the WID. These requirements include defined water quality targets and the monitoring and reporting of river, recycled and groundwater and soil quality.

To ensure compliance, our extensive monitoring program includes:

  • Drainage runoff monitoring at one stationary monitoring station and at random sampling points. Two additional stationary monitoring stations are currently being put in place. Analyses include pH, salinity, Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus, as well as Copper, Cadmium, Lead and Zinc.
  • River water quality monitoring at Werribee Diversion Weir. A range of parameters are analysed either on a monthly basis (such as salinity or E. coli ) or on a quarterly basis.
  • A network of 25 observation bores in the area, where a number of parameters are regularly monitored
  • Ongoing soil testing