Project complete
We’re pleased to inform you that we’ve completed construction of the new underground pipeline that will connect Birregurra to the Colac water supply system, along with a new water storage tank and secondary disinfection facility.
The completion of this project ensures we can continue to provide high quality, affordable and secure services for our existing customers, as well as cater for future growth.
About the project
Birregurra’s water is sourced from the open Wurdee Boluc and Birregurra channels (supplied by the West Barwon Reservoir, just outside of Forrest), and is stored in open basins prior to treatment.
Barwon Water plans to build a new underground pipeline to connect Birregurra to the Colac water supply system. The upgrade will ensure we can continue to provide high quality, affordable and secure services for our existing customers, as well as cater for future growth.
Why has Barwon Water decided to build a pipeline from Colac?
Barwon Water’s engineers and planners weighed up the pros and cons of a treatment plant upgrade versus a new pipeline. Our assessment showed the pipeline has many benefits to customers, community and the environment including:
- increased water security for Birregurra, without impacting Colac’s water security
- addressing water quality risks and low pressure
- reduced greenhouse gas emissions and water losses
- improved bushfire resilience
- keeping water bills affordable.
Read the Latest News below for more detail on this.
The pipeline
The alignment of the pipeline and associated infrastructure follows a combination of road reserves (including Woodrowvale/Kettles Road, Colac-Forrest Road and Colac-Lorne Road) and crosses farmland in places from Forrest Street, Colac, where it connects to the Colac supply system, before connecting into the Birregurra water supply network at Bowden Street.
Above ground infrastructure, such as tanks and a pressure reducing valve (PRV) will be constructed along the pipeline alignment. The alignment has the pipeline travelling through a mixture of private land and road reserves and we will be in touch with individual landowners who may be impacted.
Image - a map of the final pipeline alignment
Construction
Construction commenced in May 2023 and was completed in September 2024. Barwon Water thanks the community for their patience during the construction phase.
Your water supply
Customers in Birregurra may notice a change to their drinking water. While water from different catchments can have different taste, all water supplied by Barwon Water meets the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act 2003 and relevant regulations.
As part of the upgrade, under the direction of the Victorian Government’s Department of Health, Birregurra customers will also receive fluoridated water. The amount of fluoride added to our drinking water is carefully controlled and monitored and doesn’t change its taste, smell or colour. For more information, please visit:
https://www.health.vic.gov.au/water/water-fluoridation-in-victoria
Thank you for your patience and understanding while we undertook these essential works. We appreciate construction can be disruptive.
