Disruption to stop water discolouration

According to Council in order to reduce water discolouration, various streets in Young will be without water tomorrow Tuesday May 7, to allow Council to carry out urgent line cleaning.

"This will also help reduce the spread of discoloured water to other areas," a Council spokesperson said.

Council workers have said discolouration is caused by an aging cast iron main, along with disturbance of harmless deposits accumulated over time in the water pipes, causing the water to be brown/black or orange.

Council will be working on cleaning the line and disruption will occur in the following areas:

Boundary Road to Wombat Street on Back Creek Road

Settlers Place

Gold Court

Normoyle Crescent

Kingsvale Road to Pitstone Road to Boyds Lane

Windmere Street

Newton Road

Willawong Street

This work will be staged, with water supply in the streets listed above being affected for a period of time between 8.30 am and 5pm.

"Council regrets this inconvenience, however due to the number of complaints, are seeking to resolve this issue quickly," the spokesperson said.

"If, following this clean, you notice that your water is still discoloured please report the issue to Council on 1300 445 586."

Residents located outside the affected area are encouraged to call Council if they are experiencing water discolouration. It is important to report water discolouration when it happens so they can rectify the problem.

"We are aware of discolouration issues in Harden and assure residents that we are working on the issue."

The following information is provided to residents experiencing water discolouration:

What to do when discoloured water runs from your taps

Run the tap near the water meter located on your property boundary to see if the water is clear. This will identify if the cause of discolouration is contained within property or if the discoloured water is coming from the distribution main.

If the water at the boundary tap is clear, then the discolouration is caused by internal plumbing. If the problem persists, a plumber may need to be contacted by you.

If the water at the boundary tap is discoloured, then the customer should run the tap for a reasonable amount of time (3 to 4 minutes) and see if the discolouration disappears.

If the discolouration persists the customer should contact your closest Hilltops Council office during business hours. Staff will visit your property to flush the water meter and/or nearby water mains and rectify the water discolouration issue.

We recommend that residents check water colour before washing laundry during summer months.

Discoloured water can be used safely on gardens and lawns.

Please note, that Council does not provide compensation in relation to discolored water supply.

What causes discoloured water?

The frequency and severity of water discolouration can vary due to water source, treatment technologies, age of infrastructure and system design. Therefore, water discolouration can be caused by one or many factors, such as:

Aging water main infrastructure - old pipelines can have a build-up of natural minerals, such as iron and manganese, causing discoloured water.

Mix of high and low water supply demand in the network disturbing natural sediments in pipes - low demand for water supply in the pipe line can cause discoloration due to the length of time the water is in contact with the build-up of minerals and oppositely, high demand periods (e.g. hot summer, drought, etc.) can cause mineral deposits to be stripped from the lining of the pipe and transported to downstream connections, resulting in discolouration.

Galvanised pipe material in internal plumbing - there are cases where water discolouration is caused by corroded galvanised water pipes on customer's private properties.

Aging hot water system can also contribute to discolouration of supplied water.

Is my water safe to drink and bathe in?

Yes. Discoloured water, as regulated under the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, is deemed to be an aesthetic matter rather than a public health compliance matter. The reddish-brown coloured particles (which are oxidised colloidal iron and manganese precipitates) sometime found in your water are non-hazardous elements.

Council management practices include the regular application of chlorine and testing of daily water samples across the network. Discoloured water is not a risk to the public when enough chlorine residual is maintained within the network.

Council acknowledges that the incidence of water colour/odour can be a nuisance in a water supply and can cause staining of laundry and fixtures. We apologise for this inconvenience.

"Council has committed to a water mains replacement program as part of ongoing budgets which will allow us to meet higher industry benchmarks. We will gradually renew sections of aging mains over time which will improve the reliability of water quality."