Mount Gambier supply switch trial key to Blue Lake/Warwar upgrade

Mount Gambier’s water supply will temporarily switch from the Blue Lake/Warwar to a local borefield next week, as part of SA Water’s planning for an upgrade at the storage’s pump station next year.

The one-week trial – starting on Monday 25 August – will help test the capacity of the borefield to ensure it can support demand from SA Water’s customers during this critical project in mid-2026, which requires the Blue Lake/Warwar to be taken offline while the pump station’s control and electrical systems are upgraded.

Water supplied by the borefield remains safe to drink and meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, with the transition from the Blue Lake/Warwar to be seamless for businesses and residents across the regional city.

SA Water’s Senior Manager of Water Expertise Lionel Ho said while most won’t notice a difference to their drinking water, some customers may notice a slight change to its aesthetics.

“There will be no interruption to our customers’ water supply once the switch is in place next week and only people who are normally sensitive to changes in their water might notice a subtle difference,” Lionel said.

“Depending on the individual, these differences may include the water’s taste, colour, odour or hardness.

“Importantly, these changes are purely aesthetic, and I want to assure our customers water supplied from the borefield is safe to drink.

“Mount Gambier’s water supply is typically sourced from the Blue Lake/Warwar, with a back-up supply available from a local borefield when the Blue Lake/Warwar needs to be taken offline to enable maintenance work at the pump station or for other operational purposes.

“While the borefield has been successfully used to temporarily supply Mount Gambier in the past, we want to test its capacity to supply our customers for sustained periods of time – especially in light of growth within the city during recent years and the subsequent increase in overall water consumption.

“The data we collect from this trial is an important part of our planning for next year’s project and will guide how we can effectively operate the two bores while the Blue Lake/Warwar is offline for the pump station upgrades.

“We have also scheduled the supply trial to coincide with cooler months – which is when we expect to undertake the project next year – to ensure we are replicating a similar time of the year when local network demand is typically at its lowest.

“Subject to the outcome of the trial, we may need to schedule a second trial to ensure we capture all of the data we need to inform next year’s project, and we will keep our customers updated if this is required.”

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