Murchison’s water needs to be boiled before consumption.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Murchison and Murchison East residents have been on a Goulburn Valley Water-imposed ‘boil water notice’ since last week.
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The notice was issued on Friday, September 5, advising that as at 7.30pm that day, the tap water in the towns was unsafe to drink without boiling.
The unboiled water is unsafe for preparing beverages, washing and preparing food, preparing baby formula, brushing teeth and making ice.
A change in the raw water quality it sources from the Goulburn River and a treatment problem at the water treatment plant are responsible, according to GV Water.
GV Water Service Delivery general manager Daniel Flanagan said the Murchison Water Treatment Plant had several process steps it followed.
“One is the addition of a coagulant to help remove dirt particles and colour in a large clarifier — this is where the particles settle out,” Mr Flanagan said.
“The clarified water then passes through large media filters to remove small particles and into clear water storage tanks.
“There are limits on the filter and these were exceeded for a short period of time due to issues with the chemical dosing.”
Mr Flanagan said most of the unfiltered water was captured in the plant’s clear water storages; however, a small volume entered the reticulation network.
High turbidity limits can shield the presence of microbes, making disinfection with chlorine less effective.
Water quality testing was carried out immediately after the problem was identified, revealing that the water quality met critical safety parameters.
Murchison and Murchison East residents have been notified via text messages with links to webpage updates, social media posts, messages on digital signboards at town entry points, and alerts through the Vic Emergency website and app.
Mr Flanagan said GV Water staff had also visited Murchison’s primary school and kindergarten, and placed staff at the treatment plant between 10am and 5pm to answer questions.
Bottled and tanker water is available at Murchison Water Treatment Plant on Stevenson St.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Customers can also access bottled and tanker water at the Stevenson St plant.
Unboiled water can be used for washing dishes and clothes, flushing toilets, and showering and bathing, but GV Water asked residents to avoid swallowing any.
Ingesting the unboiled water could cause diarrhoea, cramps, headaches or other gastro-like symptoms.
Infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised people are particularly at risk.
Mr Flanagan said testing to verify compliance was ongoing.
The decision to lift the notice will be made in consultation with the Victorian Department of Health.
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