2008/12 + 2016/21 – Cardigan Village (Victoria) – E.coli, Lead, Hardness, Turbidity, Iron

29 March 2010 – Cardigan Village Customer Tap. (Ballarat System). E. coli – 1 orgs/100mL. Further resampling and site investigation. No E. coli detected in resamples. Informed DH of initial and resample results. (Central Highlands Water Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 2009-10)

9th July 2012 (9 Days) Cardigan Village Tank (Ballarat System) E. coli – 2 org/100mL Cardigan/Cardigan Village Reticulation (Ballarat System)

“Coliforms are Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria that are capable of aerobic and facultative anaerobic growth in the presence of bile salts or other surface active agents with similar growth-inhibiting properties. They are found in large numbers in the faeces of humans and other warm-blooded animals, but many species also occur in the environment. Thermotolerant coliforms are a sub-group of coliforms that are able to grow at 44.5 ± 0.2°C. E. coli is the most common thermotolerant coliform present in faeces and is regarded as the most specific indicator of recent faecal contamination because generally it is not capable of growth in the environment. In contrast, some other thermotolerant coliforms (including strains of Klebsiella, Citrobacter and Enterobacter) are able to grow in the environment and their presence is not necessarily related to faecal contamination. While tests for thermotolerant coliforms can be simpler than for E. coli, E. coli is considered a superior indicator for detecting faecal contamination…” ADWG 2011 Cardigan Village  (Victoria) – Lead 2008/9: Cardigan Village (Victoria) – Lead 0.011mg/L (Highest Detection) 2020/21: Cardigan Village (Victoria) – Lead 0.007mg/L (Highest Detection) Lead Guideline reduced from 0.01mg/L to 0.005mg/L in June 2025. “The concentration of lead in water within premises may be higher, especially in older buildings, due to contact of the water with lead-containing plumbing products (enHealth 2021). A review found several Australian and international studies that detected up to 0.162 mg/L of lead in drinking water due to leaching from lead-containing plumbing materials including taps and lead service lines, suggesting that leaching of lead from lead-containing plumbing materials can be substantial (SLR 2023)… Based on health considerations, the concentration of lead in drinking water should not exceed 0.005 mg/L.” Cardigan Village – Victoria – Hardness 2008/09: Cardigan Village (Victoria) – Hardness 230mg/L (Highest Detection Only) 2009/10: Cardigan Village (Victoria) – Hardness 210mg/L (Highest Detection Only) GUIDELINE “To minimise undesirable build‑up of scale in hot water systems, total hardness (as calcium carbonate) in drinking water should not exceed 200 mg/L. Hard water requires more soap than soft water to obtain a lather. It can also cause scale to form on hot water pipes and fittings. Hardness is caused primarily by the presence of calcium and magnesium ions, although other cations such as strontium, iron, manganese and barium can also contribute.” Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011 Cardigan Village – Victoria – Turbidity 2009/10: Cardigan Village – Turbidity 9.7 NTU 2016/17: Cardigan Village – Turbidity 11NTU 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. Cardigan Village –  Victoria – Iron 2009/10: Cardigan Village (Victoria)  – Iron 0.61mg/L (Highest level only) Based on aesthetic considerations (precipitation of iron from solution and taste), the concentration of iron in drinking water should not exceed 0.3 mg/L. No health-based guideline value has been set for iron. Iron has a taste threshold of about 0.3 mg/L in water, and becomes objectionable above 3 mg/L. High iron concentrations give water an undesirable rust-brown appearance and can cause staining of laundry and plumbing fittings, fouling of ion-exchange softeners, and blockages in irrigation systems. Growths of iron bacteria, which concentrate iron, may cause taste and odour problems and lead to pipe restrictions, blockages and corrosion. ADWG 2011