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Water Management

Highlights in 2010-11

  • 6,469 properties connected to recycled water infrastructure
  • Completed construction of recycled water treatment plants in Somers and Pakenham
  • Renewed 31.8 kilometres of water mains
  • Completed the water main renewal along iconic Chapel Street

100% compliance with drinking water quality regulations

We delivered 123 billion litres of drinking water to our customers in 2010-11 and fully complied with drinking water regulations, ensuring that the drinking water we supplied was safe at all times.

Alternative water sources

We seek innovative ways to ease demand on our drinking water supply, for the  benefit of our customers, community and environment.

For more information, see: Alternative water sources

Renewal 31.8 km of water mains renewed

South East Water renewed 31.8 kilometres of water mains during the year to ensure the reliability of our water services. We look at the age, material and maintenance history of our pipes and use specialised technology to identify sections of the network that need renewal. This allows us to proactively upgrade key assets before they become an issue.

In late 2010, we completed the renewal of the 3.3 kilometre water main that runs along iconic Chapel Street. The replacement of the 150 year old pipe has improved water quality and reliability for our customers. We worked closely with the community to minimise disruption to local businesses and residents.

Integrated Water Management 

In 2010-11, South East Water and our partners, Melbourne Water and Southern Rural Water, further developed an Integrated Water Management (IWM) strategy.

A Stakeholder Reference Group made up of 26 representatives from across government, community, industry, development and environment sectors, met monthly to develop the strategy. The strategy will be finalised in late 2011, following wider public consultation.

A key IWM-related activity undertaken during the year was our work with the City of Melbourne to look at innovative water and sewerage solutions for the growing Southbank precinct in Melbourne. The population in this precinct has the potential to grow from 10,500 to 74,000 residents by 2040.