Water Ombudsman in Victoria

[echnidna]

Water Ombudsman in Victoria
Is there a Water Ombudsman in Victoria?

My house is in a small town serviced by reticulated water,
When the water mains were installed many years ago all houses were required to connect to the system and to remove their rainwater tanks by the then water authority.

The current water authority has been engaging in cloaked practices which appear to be deceptive about the water supply. Attempts have been made to have all users to relinquish all legal rights they have in relation to their supply. Some elderly residents have trusted the authority and signed all papers submitted to them despite that information provided by the authority has not been clearly and transparently given.

We are advised by the authority that the water is untreated and must not and shall not be used for consumption including personal hygiene or washing.

The section of pipeline we are on which must be at least 50 odd km long was one of the pipelines supplying Warrnambool urban water supply from the Otways. Many farms draw their rural water supply from this pipeline. I think only one small town between Terang and Warrnambool (Garvoc) is serviced by this water supply pipeline for domestic purposes.

I suspect the pipeline is going to be converted to become a farm only water supply with the water being supplied from the Warrnambool & possibly Terang Townships sewerage treatment plants.

I have just been advised by the water authority to remove all taps from the kitchen areas to prevent human consumption.

So what was once a source of drinking water has now become an unsafe water supply. I believe the water authority has a legal and moral responsibility to provide safe drinking water to all the residents of the town even if it means installing a new water tank, plus associated costs. for each home/shop that originally had safe drinking water.

So where do I/we go from here, I don't want to start a political bun fight but I do want safe drinking water.

[Ron Dunn]

That's shocking, Echidna ... have you spoken with your local MPs, both State and Federal?

[echnidna]

For some odd reason Opera is not letting me post here so I just swung across to firefox3

I'll play the game and wait 7 days for the water authority to reply to me.

I doubt that the beaucracy is smart enough to comprehend that 20 odd water tanks will be a lot cheaper than a high profile brawl. But I'll wait the week.

On the 8th day all hell will break loose.

[Ron Dunn]

Echidna, you sound like you want to switch to a tank ... if it was me, I'd be holding out for reticulated water to be restored ... it used to be a RIGHT that towns got water from the State, and we shouldn't take BS like this lying down.

[echnidna]

Looking at the big picture I can see the need to recycle sewage water.
I still have reticulated water for the garden etc.

The problem is safe drinking and washing water.

I cannot see the feasibility of running a new water main for probably 15 kms just to service 20 houses.

So Water tanks are really neither here nor there. Of course if they aren't easily forthcoming then .......

[Sturdee]

I believe the water authority has a legal and moral responsibility to provide safe drinking water to all the residents of the town.

That I believe is the problem.

Whilst they may have a moral obligation IMO they don't have a legal obligation. For that depends on the way the water authority was set up by parliament and you would have to study that act to be certain.

For the record the old MMBW act did not require it to supply water to all the properties within its area for it was many years of agitation by our council and local progress association after we bought ours before they extended the mains to us.

Peter.

[echnidna]

thanks Peter, mmm, maybe tort law is worth considering also.

[Steve Fryar]

I live in a town which has no mains water,but every house has rainwater tanks and their own bore.I am not familiar with the geology of your area but could a bore be drilled for potable water?We use rainwater for drinking and showering.You can certainly drink our bore water but it is high in calcium and therefore a HWS killer.
Hope it works out for you.

[bsrlee]

If your local water supply authority is a 'QANGO' - basically any of the 'XYZ Corparoation' type boards are - then the standard ombudsman is the one to go to - they are a body established by parliament - even if subsequently 'corporatised' - you have an existing service & they are proposing unilaterally to remove that service & keep charging you for the now non-existant service (clean drinking water) - in fact they are reducing you to a 'Third World' standard of sanitation.

Sic 'em.

[Gingermick]

thanks Peter, mmm, maybe tort law is worth considering also.

Yeah, Sue the ba$tards

[echnidna]

Well it seems my suspicions were incorrect.
I just received a reply to my email stating they have no intention of connecting sewage water to the pipeline. They have said that the supply has NEVER been a drinking water supply.

So I sent another email and got a very fast reply this time.

"Dear Mr Thomas,

Thank you for your responding email and request for further information.

In response to your enquiry, Wannon Water did not survey all customers;
only a sample size was surveyed to give us confidence in the results.

Wannon Water is not aware of any requirement to remove water tanks. The
only requirement Wannon Water has in relation to water tanks is that
where the tank supply and reticulated supply are interlinked that an air
gap is provided between the two.

Wannon Water does not provide advice on individual treatment systems.

I hope this information further assists you with your enquiries.


Regards,



....................



Lisa Baldock

Retail Services Coordinator

(Customer Liaison)



Wannon Water
+ PO Box 1158, Warrnambool Vic 3280
? 15 Townsend Street, Portland Vic 3305
www.wannonwater.com.au
Mobile: 0400 888 213
Direct: 03 5522 3513

1300 926 666 [1300 WANNON]

Wannon Water - Serving the South West Community






-----Original Message-----
From: bob thomas [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, 11 July 2008 10:45 AM
To: Lisa Baldock
Subject: Re: Garvoc Water Supply

Dear Ms. Lisa Baldock


Thank you for your reply, if I had not received a reply by next Monday I
intended to issue Supreme Court Writs and Injunctions without further
notice. I am relieved this no longer appears to be necessary.

I do not recall seeing any survey about the water supply.

If the water supply has always been non drinking water why did the then
water authority require all rainwater tanks to be removed from every
house in the town when the reticulated supply came into service at
Garvoc.

What type of individual household treatment system (filters or reverse
osmosis etc) will render the untreated water supply potable?


Regards
Bob Thomas "