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If you are planning work near our assets, you have obligations when building or moving construction plant. See Working and building near our assets for more information.
Land development
Developers of subdivisions contiguous to our water supply or wastewater reticulation networks, will be required to enter into a Developer Agreement to install water and sewer infrastructure to GWMWater's requirements and standards, servicing the new lots and ratable properties. See Developer works for more information.
Property development
Subdividing, consolidating, or realigning boundaries
You are required to provide each lot with water and sewer main frontage (How can I achieve lot frontage?), and a sewer house connection branch, in accordance with GWMWater’s standards.
Lots are permitted only one water connection and one sewer connection, unless by written agreement.
You may be required to relocate or remove existing connections and install the new connections to GWMWater’s standards.
Where your activity involves extensions or alterations to our network, you will be required to enter into a Developer Agreement. See Developer works for more information.
Common pitfalls:
- No asset plans. Provide concept plans showing how the lots will be provided frontage to the water and sewer mains.
- No easements. Provide 3m wide easements in favour of GWMWater over any sewer mains: the Plan of Subdivision shall specifically state the purpose of sewer easements as “Sewerage” in favour of Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water Corporation. Water mains must be in the road reserve.
- Owners Corporation. If you propose combined sanitary drains or water sub-metering, we require you list these assets on the Owners Corporation: The owners corporation schedule should include the following notation “The owners corporation, affecting Lots __, is responsible for the ownership and maintenance of any combined sanitary drains upstream of GWMWater’s common sewer acceptance”; “The owners corporation, affecting Lots __, is responsible for the ownership and maintenance of any common water service downstream of GWMWater’s service point”
Developing a multiple rated lot (multiple rated dwellings on a single lot)
Each rated dwelling must be connected to water and metered in accordance with GWMWater’s standards (Water Service Connections).
As there is only one lot, only one sewer connection is permitted, unless by written agreement. Each rated dwelling must be connected to this sewer acceptance point by a combined sanitary drain, owned and maintained by the property owner.
Installing a dependent persons unit or small second home
A dependent persons unit (DPU) is known as a ‘small second home’ in Victoria and is defined by the Victorian Building Authority. A key feature of the definition is a floor area equal to or less than 60 square metres.
If the building is considered a small second home, GWMWater treat the small second home as part of the primary dwelling for water and sewer billing purposes and do not require a separate water meter provided the small second home connects via the existing water meter and existing sewer connection of the primary dwelling.
Various other agencies requirements apply. Please consult your local council for more information.
Buildings not considered as small second dwellings will be treated as a multiple rated lot.
How can I achieve lot frontage?
Review the GWMWater Interactive Map to determine if a main fronts your lot(s). If one or more of your proposed lots do not have frontage you may:
- Apply to extend an existing pipeline to front lots under a Developer works Agreement.
- Revise your plan of subdivision to provide each lot with frontage to the existing main.
How can I service my lot?
Once lots have frontage, and any associated subdivision has achieved ‘statement of compliance’, property owners can apply for consent to connect. See Connecting services - GWMWater for more information on the connection process.
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It’s important that residents and visitors to towns with untreated water supplies are aware of the town’s water quality and its fit-for-purpose use.
Where a town or rural pipeline water supply is not treated, the water is not safe drinking, food preparation, ice making, cleaning of teeth or any other human consumption purposes.
The water is suited for household activities, such as watering gardens, flushing toilets, showering/bathing, irrigation and laundry. Caution should be taken to avoid contact with broken skin or wounds.
GWMWater works with local councils to remind customers, by placing signage at public taps, that the water is not treated and is not fit for human consumption.
GWMWater monitors the water quality of untreated water supply towns and results are available upon request.
To find out which towns receive an untreated water supply, please visit our website at gwmwater.org.au/check-your-water-supply or contact us on 1300 659 961.
To ensure public safety, we ask that you:
- Don’t use the town or rural pipeline water supply for drinking, food preparation, ice making, cleaning of teeth or any other human consumption purposes.
- Avoid swallowing the water e.g. while showering or bathing.
- Avoid contact with broken skin or wounds.
- Consider disconnecting the town or rural pipeline water supply from areas which may encourage drinking or accidental swallowing.
- Make sure no cross-connections exist between the town or rural pipeline water supply and your drinking water source.
- Advise visitors to your home and your town not to drink the town water supply.
Landlords:
Landlords must let tenants know if their water is untreated and not fit for human consumption. To assist landlords, we can provide suitable handouts free of charge.
Please see the below handouts or contact us on 1300 659 961 during business hours to request copies. You are also welcome to call us to talk to a staff member about your or your tenant's water supply.
Businesses and Councils:
We ask councils, managers of commercial businesses and community groups (such as hotels, motels, caravan parks, bed and breakfast houses and club houses, etc.) in towns that do not have a drinking water supply to:
- Mount and maintain signage on or next to taps in public areas e.g. parks, public toilets, schools, caravan parks, club houses, sporting venues and halls.
- Advise guests that the water at your establishment is untreated and is not fit for human consumption.
Suitable signage and publications are available, free of charge, from GWMWater:
- Do not drink the water signs and stickers - available in two sizes.
- 'Living with an untreated water supply brochure' brochure.
- Untreated water supply poster for placement above sinks in community accessed kitchens and bathrooms.
- Untreated water supply notice listing towns and rural pipelines that do not receive a drinking water supply.
To order any of the above, please complete our order form at gwmwater.org.au/uws-order or contact us during business hours on 1300 659 961.
For further information, please contact us on 1300 659 961.
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The Horsham SmartWater and Integrated Water Management Project is an innovative recycled water project which will support agricultural research activities and provide opportunities to expand recycled water use in the municipality.
The project involves construction of infrastructure that will improve the quality and accessibility of Horsham’s recycled water broadening its sustainable use in agriculture and irrigation of green areas in Horsham.
About the SmartWater Project
The project is jointly funded by the Commonwealth Government’s National Water Grid Authority, Agriculture Victoria and GWMWater.
The project has four components:
- Construction of small-scale desalination plant and upgrade of irrigation infrastructure at Agriculture Victoria’s Horsham SmartFarm;
- Construction of a Dissolved Air Flotation treatment facility at GWMWater’s Horsham Wastewater Treatment Plant, to improve the quality of the recycled water;
- Construction of a recycled water pipeline to connect recycled water to green spaces in Horsham including the racecourse, cemetery and Dudley Cornell park;
- Additional stormwater drainage and green-space connections, funded by the Victorian Government’s Integrated Water Management program, Horsham Rural City Council and GWMWater.
Construction work is already underway at the Horsham SmartFarm and all project components are expected to be completed in the second half of 2023.
This project will ensure that the Horsham SmartFarm remains at the cutting edge of international agricultural research and will enable more opportunities for Horsham to use its water sustainably.
Access to recycled water
GWMWater is working closely with Horsham Rural City Council and other potential re-use customers to identify opportunities for recycled water use at green spaces in the municipality, providing both sustainable and cheaper access to fit-for-purpose water.
There is approximately 400ML/year of additional recycled water available for allocation to other users which would be suitable for a variety of uses including pasture, vineyard or food crop irrigation. If you are interested in receiving a recycled water supply, please submit an Expression of Interest form. Visit gwmwater.org.au/horshamrecycledwatereoi for more information.
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Please refer to GWMWater's Undetected Leaks and Unexplained High Usage Policy for more information.
Further information…
- Section 273A of the Water Act 1989 > https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/water-act-1989/142