Macarthur’s water treatment plant will be upgraded with the help of $250,000 in Victorian Government funding, the Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney announced today.
Ms Tierney said the funding to Moyne Shire Council from the Government’s Small Towns Development Fund would allow Macarthur to meet the health criteria of the Safe Drinking Water Regulations 2005.
“The Macarthur water supply is sourced from a local groundwater bore,” Ms Tierney said.
“This groundwater bore has always contained elevated levels of arsenic derived from natural mineral deposits within the volcanic sub-terrain.
“When the Safe Drinking Water Regulations were introduced in 2005, the water supply at Macarthur ceased to meet the drinking water standards in relation to arsenic concentration.
“This project will ensure that the town has a reliable drinking water supply that meets drinking water regulations and meets community expectations in relation to safety and quality of water supply.”
The project involves the implementation of an innovative iron-based absorption treatment process to remove elevated levels of arsenic from the reticulated town water supply system.
Ms Tierney said Macarthur residents and businesses are currently banned from using town water for food preparation and human ingestion.
“This project will relieve burdens on residential landowners and businesses as they will cease having to import or use alternative water sources,” Ms Tierney said.
“The supply of potable drinking water will remove barriers to economic growth and development and increase the liveability of the town.”
Minister for Rural and Regional Development, Jacinta Allan said the Government was providing $250,000 from the Small Towns Development Fund toward the $556,902 total project cost, with Wannon Water to provide the balance.
“The Small Towns Development Fund is helping Victoria’s smaller towns create jobs, drive economic growth and improve community infrastructure,” Ms Allan said.
“So far, the fund has provided $33.3 million toward 372 community and social infrastructure projects worth a total $68.9 million right across provincial Victoria.
“The Brumby Government has allocated $61 million to the Small Towns Development Fund since it was established in 2003, including an extra $5 million and an improved funding ratio for small municipalities as part of Moving Forward: Update – The Next Two Years.”