The natural water cycle describes how water keeps moving between the air, water and ground.

Did you know a raindrop can take 2 -7 minutes to fall to the ground?

Water:

• falls as rain, sleet, snow or hail from clouds
• gathers in rivers, lakes, oceans, soil or deep underground
• moves through plants and out their leaves
• evaporates and floats up to the sky to form clouds

Experience the water cycle with our water cycle yoga video. Find more water cycle activities on our education page.

Raw water is water in the environment that has not been treated. 

We manage 35 raw water reservoirs. Most of our water is stored in three reservoirs on the Coliban River near Kyneton. People enjoy visiting our reservoirs all year round.

How is the raw water in reservoirs used? 

Our raw water supplies:

• water treatment plants, to provide customers with tap water
• rural channels, for use on farms and orchards
• rivers and wetlands, for environmental benefit

 How much water is in our reservoirs?

The volume of water in our storages changes due to rainfall, evaporation, customer demand and releases. Find current volumes here.

Trentham and Elmore use groundwater as a water source. Bores are deep, narrow holes made in the ground to locate and collect water. We monitor the groundwater for changes in volume and quality over time.

Trentham

The bore collects water from more than 120 metres below the surface.

Trentham is also supplied by a natural spring. A natural spring is when groundwater finds its way to the surface naturally - no bore is required.

Elmore

Raw water is supplied from two groundwater bores that collect water from 58-68 meters below the surface. The groundwater is located in a layer of river gravel. Above the gravel is a dense layer of clay. The clay filters dirt and particles from the water, which results in groundwater that requires less treatment than other raw water sources. 

Groundwater can be hard to imagine! This delicious activity may help.

Why does the taste of tap water vary between towns?

The taste of safe drinking water from our 19 water treatment plants varies due to:

• raw water supply, whether it comes from reservoirs, rivers or groundwater storages, and
• the treatment processes used at each water treatment plant.

Who checks if water is safe to drink?

We do! Water is tested:

• during each treatment stage at the water treatment plant, and 
• at several locations within the pipe network.

Compliance with water quality standards is in our Safe Drinking Water Act 2003 Annual Report (PDF 11MB). 

Watch the video to find out how we make water you can trust.

Are the water pipes cleaned?

We regularly remove any sediment or debris by:

• Flushing – hydrants are opened and water is flushed through 
• Air scouring – a mixture of water and compressed air is forced into the pipes
• Ice pigging – a thick mixture of semi-solid ice and water is pushed through the pipe and removed from a hydrant
• Swabbing – a large ‘sponge’ is pushed through pipes by water 

Watch the video to find out how networks are maintained and managed from Network Operations Engineer, Nathalie. 

Tahlia loves gardening. She remembers the Millennium Drought and the stress it put on her garden.

Many gardeners were having to decide which plants to keep - there wasn't enough water for them all. I remember saving my shower water for the garden. I bought two rectangular buckets to collect as much water as possible.

These days, Tahlia’s garden looks a lot different.

I sat down and thought about what I really like about my garden. I like herbs, veggies and being able to make a bouquet of flowers from my garden. From there I made decisions on which plants to prioritise.

Tahlia knows the Permanent Water Saving Rules - five rules that help everyone use tap water efficiently outside. She’s happy to only use her watering system between 6 pm and 10am.

I think the rules make sense.   Watering at cooler times in the day means the water soaks into the soil, rather than just evaporating. And why not do what we can to save water now, rather than waiting until it gets dry?

You can find out more about the Permanent Water Saving Rules and how to future-proof your garden in our free book, Smart Gardens for a Dry Climate.

Kano is a busy accountant, who loves bike riding.

“Anywhere I need to go, I usually ride. It keeps me fit, it's cheap and it’s great for the environment. You can’t beat that.”

Kano drinks tap water every day.

“Drinking tap water saves me a heap of money, there’s no sugar and no plastic packaging. We have good quality tap water in Australia so it is an easy choice."

Any tips for people who find it hard to stay hydrated?

“It is just part of my routine now. I keep an insulated water bottle on my work desk so I have access to cool water all day. I keep track of my intake and refill at morning tea and lunchtime. I notice on my ride home if I haven’t had enough water … that’s my motivation to keep on top of it.”

Find out more about the benefits of tap water.

After baby River was born, Jordan found out the expensive and inconvenient way that some products are not suitable to flush.

“River wore cloth nappies and disposable liners. The liner sits inside the nappy and makes it easier to clean up pooey nappies. One weekend we had visitors and we noticed a smell and sewage coming out of a hole in our backyard.  It was embarrassing! We finally found a plumber available and she told us the liners were blocking our pipes. I thought paper products were OK to flush. I checked the liner packaging and saw a tiny ‘do not flush’ symbol – I hadn’t seen it before.”

What does Jordan do differently now? 

“If it isn’t pee, poo or loo paper it doesn’t get flushed. We have a little bin next to the toilet for non-flushable items. The nappy liners are bagged and put straight in the landfill wheelie bin. We are also more careful about what goes down sinks. We have sink strainers. Waste cooking fats and oil are collected in a jar and dropped off at the transfer station when full."

Find out more about blockages.

Why are wastewater pipe blockages a problem?

Blockages occur due to tree root damage and a build up of items that have been flushed or washed down sinks. Unsuitable items, including wet wipes and cooking oil, can clump together and form pipe blockages.  Pipe blockages can lead to overflows into local creeks and rivers. 

How do we stop blockages?

We invest over $1 million each year to improve sewer performance and reduce service interruptions and overflows:

• Poo-cam, or CCTV, is used to monitor pipes for blockages
• Maintenance holes are inspected and old pipes replaced
• Jetting cleans pipes with a high-pressure hose 
• Chemical tree root treatment removes roots in the pipe
• Community members are asked to only flush the 3 Ps - Pee, Poo and toilet Paper - and not put fats and oils down sinks

Find out what can go down the drain.

What happens to wastewater?

Wastewater is 99 percent water. With processing, most of the wastewater can be reused. 

1. Screens filter out hair and other rubbish, including wet wipes, tissues or cotton buds. The rubbish is taken to landfill.
2. Biological nutrient removal is a natural wastewater treatment process. Find out how Chemical Engineer, Annie, looks after our pet micro-organisms! 
3. The wastewater is then left to settle. The solids, or sludge, are removed. Sludge reuse, as biosolids, is described in the next section.
4. Next, the remaining water is pumped into shallow lagoons. The ultra violet light in sunlight destroys harmful micro-organisms. Now the water is suitable for farm irrigation.
5. With further processing, the water can be used for more purposes. Recycled water is described in an upcoming section.

I've heard people sometimes dive into the poo. Is that true?

Watch our video to see for yourself!

Is biosolid just another word for poo?

Not totally. Biosolids are a fine, fluffy mass, with a similar consistency to potting mix.  On close inspection you would find micro-organisms and other fine suspended particles, possibly poo or toilet paper. 

What happens to biosolids?

The reuse of biosolids allows us to turn a by-product from wastewater treatment into a valuable local resource. First, microorganisms in sludge are killed by self-generated heat.  Biosolids are then trucked to local farms to be added to soil. Biosolids contain nitrogen, trace metals and phosphorus - all great for soil!

Recycled water is an alternative water supply that is suitable in some situations.  Recycled water is not suitable for drinking. There are 3 classes of recycled water, each with their own uses:

Class A Recycled Water 

• Victoria's highest quality of recycled water 
• Used for: clothes washing, closed system toilet flushing, garden watering and firefighting. 
• A recycled water factory produces Class A Recycled Water using a combination of disinfection and membrane filtration.
• Purple pipes distinguish Class A recycled water from other water sources.

Class B Recycled Water 

• Used to irrigate sports fields, golf courses and dairy cattle grazing land. 

Class C Recycled Water

• Used to irrigate cooked or processed human food crops.
• Can be used to irrigate some public spaces, such as sporting grounds or golf courses, provided there is limited public access.

Recycled water use lessens the demand on our raw water supplies. 

We provide safe drinking water and wastewater services for public health, environmental protection and for our community to sustain itself now and into the future. Watch the video to find out how Djaara CEO Rodney Carter approaches planning for future water.

Find out more

• Our service region map 
• Water and wastewater treatment in your town
• Traditional Owner perspectives on water
• 10-year plan, Strategy 2030