Water watch needed

RIGHT now, midwinter, after a wet weekend, with more rain forecast this week, many Geelong region residents won’t be thinking about the Big Dry.

But don’t be fooled, there are real concerns it’s coming.

Barwon Water has been watching the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts, and certainly thinks a long, dry summer lies ahead.

Its vigilance heightened by the lack of rainfall in the summer of 2018-19, the water authority is deep in planning its 2019-20 water security strategy.

The statistics show January was one of the driest months on record in this region. The BoM recorded just 2mm of rain at Geelong racecourse, and Barwon Water caught 3.2mm at West Barwon Reservoir.

The dry conditions continued to May, reducing that reservoir to 32.6 per cent of its capacity.

In the past decade it’s dropped that low just twice — in 2016 and 2010.

Both times, Barwon Water used the Barwon Downs borefield near Birregurra to supplement regional supplies.

The controversial decision was later blamed for ecological problems that plagued the Barwon River in 2016, and the water authority has not used the bores in such a way since.

In fact, in March Barwon Water withdrew its application to use the borefield, saying to planned to focus on “the remediation of environmental impacts of historic groundwater pumping”.

So, as it looks to secure water for Geelong’s southern suburbs and coastal towns this summer, the water authority is eyeing a new groundwater source.

Elsewhere in the region the Melbourne-Geelong pipeline and recycled water plants will help take pressure off catchments, but in the south Barwon Water wants to turn the taps on seven bores at Anglesea.

It’s heartening to hear the authority say it’s learned from the past and will subject the project to the “highest environmental standards”, but residents will have questions about this plan. Thankfully, they’ll get to ask them at community information sessions from later this month.