Anglesea top-up trial

Storage pond to pump water into river in summer

ANGLESEA River’s water levels will be boosted from an existing Alcoa storage pond as part of a trial to preserve the waterway.

Authorities will pump water from the pond into the Anglesea River from November to help maintain its levels over summer.

The loss of the Alcoa power station’s daily pumping of water is expected to reduce the river’s level by up to 1m over the hotter period.

The measure will be trialled until March next year.

If the trial is successful, it will operate until a long-term solution is crafted. The pond, which is being used to store treated groundwater, will be topped up during spring by extracting water from the relatively high river.

Barwon Water, Alcoa and the State Government hope that will ensure there are sufficient levels available to be transferred back to the river over the drier summer months.

Water Minister Lisa Neville said authorities had been working on management options for the river since Anglesea’s power station closed last year.

“I understand how important the river is to the Anglesea community, which is why we have pushed so hard to ensure its long-term sustainability and bolster its environmental and social value,” Ms Neville said.

Alcoa turned off the tap from its power station into the river at the end of March.

The company had been putting 4.5 megalitres of water a day into the river at a cost of about $130,000 a month.