en.Wedoany.com Reported - Barwon Water has commenced the first phase of a major project to double the drinking water storage capacity of its Pettavel Basin at Waurn Ponds, supporting future development in the Geelong region.

The water utility will construct a new lined and covered drinking water basin with a capacity of 100 megalitres (ML) at the existing Pettavel Basin site, doubling on-site storage capacity. The site has supplied drinking water to the local community for over 100 years.

The two existing basins distribute treated water from the Wurdee Boluc Water Treatment Plant and the Melbourne to Geelong Pipeline (MGP) to approximately 130,000 customers in Armstrong Creek, the Bellarine Peninsula, and the Surf Coast region.

Barwon Water's current storage level is 56.8% and trending upward. The new basin will enable the utility to store more water supplied via the MGP, which can provide up to 60% of the treatment capacity of the Wurdee Boluc Water Treatment Plant during peak demand periods.

Seamus Butcher, General Manager of Planning, Delivery and Environment at Barwon Water, stated that the project will help meet the growing water demand driven by the region's ongoing growth. Butcher said the company is undertaking a series of significant investments to secure the water future of the Barwon region, with new and expanded water sources at the core of its diversified water network. Increasing year-round storage capacity at the Pettavel Basin will ensure a high-quality, affordable, and reliable service for the growing Geelong community.

The project is one of ten key initiatives identified in Barwon Water's 2023-28 Price Submission and is expected to support an additional 40,000 residents over the next 25 years. Preliminary works have now commenced, including the construction of a compensatory wetland and a surface detention basin. Once completed, the wetland will provide habitat for the endangered Growling Grass Frog, which already exists at the site. Construction of the new 100-megalitre storage basin and associated pipeline works is scheduled to begin in 2028.

Upon completion, the additional storage capacity will allow more water from the MGP and the Wurdee Boluc Water Treatment Plant to be stored at the Pettavel Basin, enhancing operational flexibility in the distribution network while reducing reliance on the Wurdee Boluc Reservoir and the Moorabool River.