KANIVA residents should have access to drinkable tap water by 2021, if GWMWater plans come to fruition.
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Managing director Mark Williams says the town, along with Elmhurst and Moyston east of the Grampians, are next in line for water infrastructure upgrades in the Wimmera.
His comments come as Brim, Beulah, Sea Lake and Woomelang residents will officially celebrate receiving access to piped drinking water across this week.
"Every town has water supply - we still try to keep a clean product so they can still use it for washing and showering - but (this is) to warrant its acceptability as drinking water. We've got four on our books at the moment, including Ultima (southwest of Swan Hill)," he said.
Mr Williams said preliminary studies suggested extending the pipeline from Nhill to Kaniva would be the most likely way forward. He said he hoped it could be completed within two years.
"Kaniva is probably the largest town we still haven't provided with an upgraded water supply," he said.
"We had a dial-up with them about 15 years ago, and at that point it was considered the town didn't need one - partly because of the technical offer that was on the table.
"We don't have a definitive solution at this stage. We're probably envisaging it will be a reticulated water supply from Dimboola onto Nhill onto Kaniva. When we put Nhill on a drinking water supply about five years ago that was by connecting it to Dimboola, and we just see that's the most likely solution, to bring water from the Grampians and treat it at Dimboola."
He said the four towns had been chosen following consultation with residents and the organisation's own risk-based framework.
Mr Williams said works to secure drinkable water supplies to Elmhurst and Moyston would need to fit in with the East Grampians Rural Pipeline Project, which will connect up to 1500 rural farming properties over 330,000 hectares with a reticulated non-drinking water supply.
"Moyston is definitely in that (project's) footprint, but we've got Elmhurst on the other side. That's a bit more isolated - once again we're working through what the best technical options are," he said.
"We've done a few towns that are pretty isolated where we've given them their own water treatment plants, like Quambatook.
"For Moyston, it will most likely be a pipe connection onto the Ararat or Pomonal system - they are two places close by with treated water."
Mr Williams said he was hoping the Moyston works could also be completed within two years and Elmhurst within three. He said residents of all three towns could expect information sessions on GWMWater's plans soon.
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