Has drought impacted on Water Quality?

Should I buy bottled water?

Is my water fluoridated?

Do I need a water filter?

How is my water treated?



Has drought impacted on Water Quality?

Western Water continues to supply high quality drinking water that meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2004 and the Victorian Safe Drinking Water Act 2003. Victoria has now been in drought for over 10 years. The storage levels of our region's largest reservoirs, Lake Merrimu and Rosslynne Reservoir, continued to decline and water restrictions remained in place across Western Water' service area.

Major projects, such as the Melbourne to Melton/Bacchus Marsh pipeline, the commissioning of the Lancefield Water Filtration Plant and Myrniong Water Filtration Plant have assisted Western Water to continue delivering high quality water to customers during the drought.

Should I buy bottled water?
You do not need to buy bottled water for health reasons, as Western Water supplies you with drinking water that meets the necessary health guidelines.

If you want a drink with a different taste, you can buy bottled water, however you are often buying a product that is no better than the water available at minimum cost from your tap.

Is my water fluoridated?
Western Water applies some treatment and/or disinfection to water before supplying it to our customers. The type of treatment that your water receives depends on the
catchment or reservoir that your water is supplied from. In accordance with the requirements set by the Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS) some water supplies have fluoride added for dental health benefits.

What is fluoride?
Fluoride is a naturally occurring element that is found in rocks, soils, water and plants.

What is fluoridation?
Water fluoridation is the adjustment of the natural levels of fluoride in the water supply to the recommended levels required for optimal oral health. One milligram of fluoride for every litre of water has been shown to provide maximum dental benefits to the community. This is the 'optimal' level for temperate climates such as Victoria.

Why is fluoride added to the water?
Fluoride is added to drinking water to provide oral health benefits to the community. In addition to the pain and discomfort suffered, tooth decay has a high cost to the community. Adding fluoride to water is a cheap and effective way of ensuring that everyone benefits from fluoride. Approximately 75 per cent of Victorians drink water with either naturally occurring or added fluoride. Fluoride is added to the drinking water by water businesses in Melbourne to supplement the fluoride that occurs naturally. Water businesses have added fluoride to some water supplies for over 25 years.

What are the benefits of water fluoridation?
Research over many years has shown that water fluoridation significantly reduces tooth decay in children and adults and adds to the positive impact of fluoride toothpastes. Children living in fluoridated regions in Melbourne have over 45 per cent less tooth decay than children living in non fluoridated areas. Water fluoridation has saved Victorians around $1 billion over the past 25 years through avoided dental costs, lost productivity and saved leisure time. Even if your drinking water is fluoridated, it is still important to look after your teeth through regular brushing, check ups and healthy eating. Children under six should use a low fluoride toothpaste.

Is fluoridation harmful?
No, fluoride is not harmful at the levels consumed by the average Australian person in fluoridation areas. Harmful effects have only been seen where people have been exposed to high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in water, many times higher than the recommended amount.

Fluoride Supplements
People living in an area with a fluoridated water supply do not need to take fluoride supplements. Fluoride supplements don't give much extra protection against tooth decay and should only be used if your dentist prescribes them. If you live in an area that does not have fluoride added to the water and you would like more information about fluoride, speak with your dentist or contact the Department of Human Services Water Fluoridation Information Line: 1800 651 723

Click here to download a copy of the Health Fluoridation Act.pdf

Or for more information about fluoridation please go to the Department of Human Services Website:

http://www.health.vic.gov.au/environment/water/fluoridation.htm

*This information is sourced from Victoria's Department of Human Services Water Fluoridation information booklet.


Do I need a water filter?
Western Water strives to deliver high quality water to our customers. We continually monitor, sample and analyse water from all areas of our distribution network to help us achieve this. We do not believe that filters are necessary for our water, however it is acknowledged that some customers may choose to purchase a filter.

If you do decide to install a filter, it is important that you select one that meets your needs. Do you want the filter to remove colour, taste, odour or chemicals?

Also consider the following points when choosing a filter:

Filters should be certified to relevant Australian Standards  Filters must be maintained properly to avoid materials building up (eg bacteria) and entering your water supply  Most filters require ongoing maintenance costs  Different manufacturers and suppliers will have varying standards of after sale service.

How is my water treated?
Western Water's water supply comes from a range of sources, including protected and unprotected catchments and bores. To ensure the provision of safe and healthy drinking water at your tap, all water is disinfected at the point where it enters the supply system and at specified points along the delivery system.

Western Water disinfects your water supply using chemical processes to eliminate micro-organisms capable of causing disease. Western Water uses both chlorination and chloramination to disinfect water supplies. The method used depends on the system the water is supplied from. Having disinfectant present throughout the water distribution system prevents potentially harmful micro-organisms from regrowing in the water pipes.

Chlorination
Chlorine is the most widely used disinfectant for drinking water in Australia. Small amounts of chlorine are added to the water supply to destroy any bacteria that may cause illness.

The amount of chlorine added is equivalent to less than half a cup in an average sized back yard swimming pool. It is important to maintain a minimal amount of chlorine throughout the entire system to ensure that all water is safe to drink right up to the time it reaches your tap.

When compared to chloramination, chlorine requires much less contact time to destroy any harmful organisms so the reticulation lengths in some townships respond more effectively to this method.

• How do we measure the amount of chlorine added to water?
  Chlorine is added to the water supply in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council's Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2004.
  The water supply is then monitored throughout the distribution system in accordance with the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Regulations 2005, to ensure good quality water all the way to your tap.
• How is chlorine controlled?
  Through careful monitoring at each water filtration plant and at specified points in the supply system, chlorine levels are normally maintained at levels below what is normally detected by customers.
  Changes in chlorine levels causing noticeable taste and odour issues may occur if there are sudden increases in the demand for water during hot weather.

Chloramination
Chloramination is a modified form of chlorination. A small amount of ammonia is added to the water just prior to the chlorine, to form monochloramines.

• What are the advantages of chloramination?
  - The disinfecting chemicals last longer and penetrate further and more effectively into the water supply system
  - Taste and odour issues are minimised
  - Chloramines are not broken down by sunlight to the same extent as chlorine used alone
• When is chloramination preferable to chlorination?
  As well as providing a long lasting disinfectant, chloramination results in minimal taste and odour issues as compared to chlorination.
  
  Chloramination is preferred in areas where water travels over long distances, or is stored for an extended period before it reaches customers' taps.
  

While Western Water's disinfection methods are completely safe, chlorine and chloramines are harmful to fish and must be neutralized in tap water before it is used in aquariums or fish ponds. Please seek professional advice from your local aquarium shop on the most suitable products. For more information on protecting fish, please read Western Water's fact sheet Caring for your fish.

For more information on water quality, telephone the Water Systems Team on
(03) 9218 5400, during normal business hours.

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