A new state of the art water treatment facility will be supplying Elmhurst with fully treated drinking water supply straight from the tap.
Minister for Water Gayle Tierney today announced the completion of the $3 million Elmhurst Drinking Water Supply project, with the Pyrenees town now connected to Grampians Wimmera Mallee (GWM) Water's supply network.
Supplying the town with drinking water means residents will no longer need to rely on water from rainwater tanks or bottled water for drinking and cooking.
The project involved the construction of the Elmhurst Water Treatment Plant, GWM Water's first completely off-grid water treatment facility.
The award winning treatment plant features an 85 kilowatt solar array and battery storage, which provides enough renewable energy to power the treatment process, and a back-up generator if needed.
By not connecting to the electricity grid, it reduced the impacts on neighbouring properties and native vegetation during construction and provides for a more reliable cost-effective water supply for customers.
Elmhurst's drinking water is sourced from the local catchment and treated in line with Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
The project is part of the Labor Government's work to provide access to safe, high-quality drinking water straight from the tap - supporting rural communities to thrive and continue to grow.
GWMWater has also recently upgraded Ultima's water supply to provide high-quality treated drinking water and is planning upgrades to water supply in Moyston, Kaniva, Berriwillock and Culgoa.
As stated by Minister for Water Gayle Tierney
"Elmhurst residents will no longer have to rely on rainwater tanks and bottled water for drinking, washing their vegetables and brushing their teeth."
"The new Elmhurst Water Treatment Plant is an innovative solution to provide drinking water to smaller regional communities without putting additional pressure on customers' water bills."
As stated by Member for Ripon Martha Haylett
"I am so happy for the Elmhurst community who now have fully treated drinking water for the very first time. It will improve the health and wellbeing of locals and makes this special community an even more desirable place to call home."
