Working to Clean the Pipes in Korumburra

Tuesday, January 9th, 2018

A number of customers have experienced discoloured water across the township of Korumburra over the recent summer months.  The colour in the water is due to the presence of a naturally-occurring mineral, known as manganese. South Gippsland Water apologise to customers who have been inconvenienced by this.

Managing Director of South Gippsland Water Philippe du Plessis commented today, “This mineral is present in all or our systems, however, normally manganese sediments settle to the bottom of the pipe reticulation network where they don’t cause problems for our customers”.

Over the past month, changes to pressure and flows within the Korumburra system due to a number of influences have caused sediments to be stirred up and entered the flow to customers’ taps. The influences include; high water usage due to summer demands, construction works and a recent mains break   The manganese sediments tend to give the water a yellow through to brown or “dirty” appearance.

The Corporation is actively taking steps to prevent and remove the discoloured water. Manganese is not toxic when consumed at the concentrations typically present in tap water, however, it is not advisable to drink water that is badly coloured.

The best way to clear the Manganese from the system is to flush it out. South Gippsland Water is performing a system flushing run commencing Wednesday 10th January and being completed on Friday 12th January to release the coloured water and sediments from the system.

Customers can also assist by running the garden tap at your property for 15 minutes if experiencing manganese. The volumetric water cost of this exercise will be approximately 50c (@20lt per minute).

In conclusion Mr du Plessis said, “These summer conditions have presented a range of challenges for water treatment in Korumburra, please be assured the water is safe to drink and the South Gippsland Water field officers are working hard to ensure maximum possible removal of manganese at the treatment plant and undertaking proactive cleaning or flushing of the system around the township.

This naturally occurring mineral will continue to occur while the system is sourced from local catchment areas. Customers that do experience coloured tap water are encouraged to please call South Gippsland Water on 1300 851 636 to ensure we have a full understanding of where the discolouration is occurring.

For further information, please refer to the water treatment, water quality and FAQ sections of our website.  www.sgwater.com.au