Fleurieu water change taps into better drinking supply

Thousands of SA Water customers across the Fleurieu Peninsula are set to soon receive a better quality supply of tap water, as the utility improves services for local customers.

From 1 December, the disinfection process for water stored in the Myponga Reservoir and supplied to large parts of the region, will be changing for homes and businesses in Victor Harbor and Encounter Bay through to Middleton, Goolwa and Hindmarsh Island, as well as Willunga, Sellicks Beach and parts of Aldinga Beach.

Disinfecting drinking water is a critically important part of protecting public health, with chlorine currently used to ensure bacteria and other naturally occurring harmful pathogens are destroyed within the drinking water systems for these towns.

SA Water’s Senior Manager of Water Expertise and Research Dr Daniel Hoefel said changing from chlorine to chloramine – another common disinfection method used across South Australia and the world – will help to overcome potential water quality challenges in the local pipe network.

“The Myponga Reservoir is fed by rainfall, and it’s normal to see large amounts of organic matter collected on the water’s journey through the Onkaparinga catchment area and into the reservoir,” Daniel said.

“In the process of safely treating our drinking water to a high standard, chlorine can react with this organic matter and produce by-products called trihalomethanes, which can provide water quality challenges across the 600-plus kilometres of water mains on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

“While this water remains safe to drink under the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (2011), our continued efforts to improve water services means we want to achieve the optimum water quality for all of our Fleurieu customers, every time.

“Changing to chloramine not only allows us to destroy bacteria, microorganisms and pathogens to a high standard, but is also far better at providing a consistent level of disinfection through the water network.

“This ensures our customers continue to receive safe, high quality water when they turn on their taps, no matter where they live on the Peninsula.

“With more than 220,000 SA Water customers across South Australia and other parts of the Fleurieu already receiving a chloraminated drinking water supply, we know this is a proven method of maintaining tap water quality, while simultaneously improving its taste and smell.

“There will be no interruption to customer supply throughout the changeover process, however some customers may experience a temporary change in the colour, taste or odour of their tap water than what they previously experienced.

“This is normal and demonstrates the effectiveness of chloramine in maintaining a high-quality supply as water passes through the pipe network.

“Specific steps are required for customers to neutralise their fish tanks, aquariums or ponds using a carbon filter or conditioning chemicals prior to receiving their new water supply, and is the same for all drinking water supplies, whether they are disinfected with chlorine or chloramine.”

Acting as an independent regulator, SA Health ensures that drinking water supplied to SA Water customers is safe, according to the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act (2011), and the Safe Drinking Water Regulations (2012).

SA Health’s Principal Water Quality Adviser and member of the National Health and Medical Research Committee’s (NHMRC) Water Quality Advisory Committee, Dr David Cunliffe, said chloramine is a well-documented alternative disinfection method to chlorine.

“Chloramine has been added to drinking water across parts of South Australia like the Mid North, Spender Gulf and Yorke Peninsula since as early as the 1980s, and is renowned as a safe, high-quality water treatment method in places like Sydney, Brisbane, and other international water supplies,” Dr Cunliffe said.

“It has also demonstrated to last longer in water pipes compared to chlorine and will therefore enable SA Water to maintain a higher quality drinking water through the extensive water main network across the Fleurieu Peninsula.

“In addition, switching to chloramine will also alleviate the current challenges with elevated levels of trihalomethanes that we have previously seen across the Fleurieu drinking water supply.”

Ahead of the changeover, local residents are invited to visit one of SA Water’s community drop-in sessions, to speak with water quality experts and ask any questions. The sessions will take place at:

• Victor Harbor Central on Thursday 11 November, between 10am and 7pm
• Victor Harbor Central on Friday 12 November, between 10am and 7pm
• Victor Harbor Farmers Market on Saturday 13 November, between 8am and 12:30pm
• Goolwa Village Shopping Centre on Thursday 18 November, between 10am and 7pm
• Willunga Library on Friday November 19, between 10am and 6pm
• Willunga Farmers Market on Saturday 20 November, between 8am and 12pm

More details on improvements to the Fleurieu Peninsula’s drinking water can be found at watertalks.sawater.com.au, with information on water treatment available at sawater.com.au.

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