Members of East Gippsland Water’s Customer Advisory Committee recently toured critical infrastructure that supplies high-quality drinking water to the majority of the region’s customers.
The tour included a visit to the Mitchell River pumping site at Glenaladale and a guided walkthrough of the Woodglen Water Treatment Plant – the heart of the Mitchell Supply District, which services over 21,000 customers, or approximately 75 per cent of East Gippsland Water’s customer base.
The Mitchell River is a vital water source for communities stretching from Lindenow to Nowa Nowa, including Bairnsdale, Paynesville and Lakes Entrance. Coordinator Water Resources, Travis Sloan, provided committee members with an overview of the region’s water outlook and planning strategies.
At the Woodglen site, committee members were shown the extensive treatment process that ensures safe, clean drinking water for the region. The facility includes two major storage basins with a combined capacity of over 1.5 billion litres, as well as an advanced treatment plant capable of processing up to 20 million litres of water per day.
The Woodglen tour was led by District Manager Water Treatment, Rob Saunders and Water Industry Trainee, Eliza Montague, who explained the treatment process and the technology used to monitor and manage water quality and system performance.
The return journey included a drive past the Wy Yung water storages, where a recently completed $8.7 million upgrade has enhanced the reliability of the Mitchell River system. The site now includes an 88 million-litre covered storage basin and a 36 million-litre enclosed concrete tank, brought online in 2021, both of which play a critical role in meeting peak summer demand and supporting the region’s growing population.
East Gippsland Water’s Executive Manager Customer, Community and Communications, David Radford, said the tour was an important opportunity to engage with the committee and showcase the organisation’s commitment to delivering safe, reliable water services.
“This tour helps our Customer Advisory Committee better understand the scale and complexity of our operations, and the work that goes into ensuring water quality and supply for our communities,” Mr Radford said.
Due to recent retirements, East Gippsland Water is looking to bolster the numbers on its Customer Advisory Committee in readiness for the next Pricing Submission (2028–2033). Expressions of Interest are now open for eligible residential and business customers to apply.
Mr Radford said strengthening engagement with customers on important matters around the delivery of drinking water and water recycling services is a key priority.
“The Customer Advisory Committee is essentially an advisory group to our Board. The committee has an instrumental role to play in developing and assessing the community engagement process for our Price Submission to the Essential Services Commission,” he said.
“The current committee has also overseen development of a new water efficiency program to commence on 1 July and takes a strong interest in community matters relating to East Gippsland Water’s civic stewardship responsibilities.”
Committee Chair John Miller added that being part of the Customer Advisory Committee has been a rewarding experience.
Since l joined the EGW l have learnt a great deal about the water industry which l had not known before and it’s a great way to contribute to the future of water services in our region and our community and also ensures that customer voices are heard at the highest level. I encourage anyone who’s passionate about their community and water services to consider applying,” Mr Miller said.
Application forms are available below or contact us directly for more information.
