Geelong's newest water source is online and supplying up to 20 million litres of groundwater every day.
The project is nearing completion, with work on the final bore expected to be finished by the end of 2011.
The borefield will supply an average of 7000 million litres of water a year, equivalent to 20% of Geelong's annual demand.
Part of a suite of projects to secure long term water supply, the Anglesea Borefield complements a diversified system which combines surface water, groundwater, recycling and conservation.
The borefield consists of 7 production bores across 2 sites that tap into the Lower Eastern View Formation — a vast underground aquifer around 700 metres below the surface, stretching from the Otway foothills to the Southern Ocean.
Raw groundwater is high in dissolved minerals such as iron and manganese, and is hot due to the pressure and depth underground. A pre-treatment plant cools the groundwater, and removes dissolved minerals.
The pre-treated groundwater is piped 20 kilometres to the Wurdee Boluc Reservoir, south of Winchelsea, where it is mixed with rainwater from the Otways Ranges.
The water is filtered, chlorinated and fluoridated, before being piped to smaller storage basins and tanks, and then delivered to homes and business in the greater Geelong region.
The borefield can supply an average of 7000 million litres per year, with a maximum extraction of 10,000 million litres in a given year.
This is consistent with the bulk entitlement granted to Barwon Water by the Victorian Government.
The aquifer is monitored daily at 37 observation bores, 8 surface water sites, 8 terrestrial sites and 11 aquatic sites.
The surrounding fauna, flora and environment are continually monitored to ensure the project has minimal environmental impact.
Barwon Water reports to the Victorian Government in accordance with the bulk entitlement.
All material on this site Copyright © 2012 Barwon Region Water Corporation
Head Office: 61-67 Ryrie Street, Geelong, 3220, Victoria, Australia.
Ph: 1300 656 007
E-mail general enquiries: info@barwonwater.vic.gov.au