Changes in the quality of water sourced from rivers and creeks, bushfires, rain, or high demand for drinking water can all impact your drinking water supply.

While we do everything we can to plan and prepare for these circumstances, we want you to be prepared, too.

Water quality

All drinking water being supplied to customers in the Coliban Water region is safe to consume.

During recent warm weather, we regularly experienced poor quality in the rivers and creeks from which we source our water.

Poor raw water quality means that our water treatment plants have to work harder than normal to keep up with spikes in demand, which means that they can take longer to treat your drinking water.

As we move into autumn and the weather begins to cool, there is less pressure on our water treatment plants.

Over the past couple of months, some customers may have noticed changes to the look, taste or odour of their drinking water. With cooler weather conditions, most of the raw water quality issues that were the cause of those issues have passed, and the drinking water being supplied should be closer to normal.

We have a continuous monitoring program that we use to help us revise our treatment processes should local conditions change.

If you need assistance or have further questions, please call 1300 363 200.

Your water supply

Last updated: Monday 22 April 2024

Next update: Monday 29 April 2024

All drinking water being supplied to customers in the Coliban Water region is safe to consume.

We have a comprehensive and continuous monitoring program that we use to help us identify issues with our treatment processes or the water that we supply. If our monitoring program detects an issue, we will contact customers and take a range of actions to manage the problem.

If you need assistance or have further questions, please call 1300 363 200.


Heathcote and TooboracRecently, we changed the source water for the Heathcote Water Treatment Plant from Lake Eppalock to Caledonia Reservoir.

Current water quality data shows that this change of source water has resolved issues causing the changes to the aesthetic quality of the drinking water in Heathcote and Tooborac.

We will continue to closely monitor Heathcote’s water quality and adjust our treatment processes as necessary.

If you have any questions, please call us on 1300 363 200.

Your water and health as temperatures rise

When temperatures outside heat up, demand for water also increases. People use more water to run air conditioners, water their garden and keep cool.

While most of the region will be unaffected, customers in some areas may experience variable or low water pressure.

You can help by considering how you can minimise your water use:

Try to avoid watering your garden between 6pm and 10pm.

Be waterwise and keep showers short.

Wash only full loads of clothes.

Skip the car washing while it’s hot.

Stay up to date with Bureau of Meteorology Heat health warnings.

  • In hot weather, keep cool, avoid vigorous physical activity and, most importantly, drink water to stay hydrated.
  • Check on elderly neighbours and family members to ensure they are okay during hot weather.
  • Note heat-related messages from the Department of Health and Emergency Management Victoria
  • Please reconsider all non-essential water use during peak-times on hot days.

Find out more information from the Better Health Channel.