Victorian health authorities say Elmore water no longer safe after treatment plant breakdown
December 26 2023
Residents of a small community are being urged to drink only bottled water and use baby wipes to stay clean after a breakdown at a treatment plant.
Residents of a small Victorian community are being urged to use baby wipes to stay clean after a Christmas Day breakdown at the town’s water treatment plant knocked out safe drinking water.
Health authorities issued an urgent warning to the residents of Elmore, about 175km north of Melbourne, about health hazards in the tap water at 1.30pm.
“The town’s clear water storage tank has been drained following an issue at the Elmore Water Treatment Plant earlier on Monday,” VicEmergency said.
“Tap water is not safe to drink in Elmore. Boiling the tap water will not make it safe.”
The authorities warned residents to drink only bottled water.
On Christmas Day, the company said it was working to restore the town’s water treatment plant.
“The plant is currently being restored, but this will take some time to restore normal operations once again,” Coliban stated.
“We will be adding chlorine to the water supply in the short term as we resume water production.”
Elmore (Victoria) – E.coli
2013/14 Elmore E.coli 1/100mL (96.2% samples no e.coli ) (2 positive)
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
2005/6 – Elmore (Victoria) – Turbidity
2005/6 – Elmore (Victoria) – Turbidity 8.7NTU (maximum detection)
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
Elmore – Victoria – Hardness
2005/06: Elmore (Victoria) – Hardness 260mg/L (max), 207.5mg/L (mean)
2006/07: Elmore (Victoria) – Hardness 200mg/L (max)
2016/17: Elmore (Victoria) – Calcium Carbonate 250mg/L (Highest Detection Only)
2022/23: Elmore (Victoria) – Calcium Carbonate 210mg/L (max), 143mg/L (mean)
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
Elmore – Victoria – Total Dissolved Solids
2006/07: Elmore (Victoria) – Total Dissolved Solids 1100 μS/cm (max)
2010/11 Elmore Total Dissolved Solids 1000mg/L
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
Elmore (Victoria) – Chloride
2022/23: Elmore (Victoria) – Chloride 280mg/L (max), 170mg/L (av.)
Based on aesthetic considerations, the chloride concentration in drinking water should not exceed 250 mg/L.