Macedon Ranges town to go without safe drinking water for days
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/macedon-ranges-town-to-go-without-safe-drinking-water-for-days-20230406-p5cyqm.html
12/4/23
Kyneton residents in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges will be without safe drinking water for days after a water main burst in the town, forcing authorities to warn residents to boil tap water before consumption.
Coliban Water said in a statement that a water main burst in Rennick Avenue, Kyneton late on Tuesday evening.
The burst caused a supply interruption for some Kyneton residents and very low pressure for others, potentially contaminating the system.
The regional water corporation, after consulting the Victorian health department, advises all Kyneton customers to boil their drinking water until further notice. A VicEmergency alert says a water quality alert is likely to be in place for several days.
Coliban Water has repaired the burst water main, and the water supply will soon be returned to normal, according to the VicEmergency message. However, tap water must still be boiled before drinking until Coliban confirms it is safe to drink again.
Drinking water is available at the Kyneton Showgrounds from Wednesday morning. Locals in the town of roughly 7500, located between Bendigo and Melbourne, can bring suitable containers to fill up to supplement their water supply at home.
Unboiled tap water can still be used for washing hands, showering and bathing, flushing toilets, and washing dishes and clothes.
However, if unboiled tap water is consumed, it could cause gastro-like symptoms.
Kyneton (Victoria) Nickel
18/4/16 Kyneton Nickel 0.045mg/L
Nickel: ADWG Health Guideline 0.02mg/L. A chemical element and silvery white corrosion resistant metal with a golden tinge. 60% of nickel production is used in nickel steel (particularly stainless steel). In water, mainly a problem with nickel plated fittings. Main releases to the environment are from the burning of fossil fuels and in waste discharges from electroplating industries.
Kyneton – Victoria – Total Dissolved Solids
2005/06: Kyneton (Victoria) – Total Dissolved Solids 2300 μS/cm (max), 220μS/cm (min)
GUIDELINE
“No specific health guideline value is provided for total dissolved solids (TDS), as there are no
health effects directly attributable to TDS. However for good palatability total dissolved solids
in drinking water should not exceed 600 mg/L.
Total dissolved solids (TDS) consist of inorganic salts and small amounts of organic matter that are dissolved in water. Clay particles, colloidal iron and manganese oxides and silica, fine enough to pass through a 0.45 micron filter membrane can also contribute to total dissolved solids.
Total dissolved solids comprise: sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, bicarbonate, carbonate, silica, organic matter, fluoride, iron, manganese, nitrate, nitrite and phosphates…” Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011
Kyneton (Victoria) – Turbidity
2017/18: Kyneton (Victoria) – Turbidity. 22NTU (max), 0.4NTU (av.)
Chlorine-resistant pathogen reduction: Where filtration alone is used as the water treatment
process to address identified risks from Cryptosporidium and Giardia, it is essential
that filtration is optimised and consequently the target for the turbidity of water leaving
individual filters should be less than 0.2 NTU, and should not exceed 0.5 NTU at any time
Disinfection: A turbidity of less than 1 NTU is desirable at the time of disinfection with
chlorine unless a higher value can be validated in a specific context.
Aesthetic: Based on aesthetic considerations, the turbidity should not exceed 5 NTU at the
consumer’s tap.