A Managed Aquifer Recharge project at the Ballarat West Employment Zone is being considered as a long-term insurance policy to assist Ballarat water storages.
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Central Highlands Water managing director Paul O’Donohue said CHW is in discussion with the City of Ballarat and government bodies about utilising the area as further cover for the city’s water supply.
An aquifer is a body of permeable rock used to contain or transfer water.
While discussions are preliminary, Mr O’Donohue said the BWEZ presents a “big opportunity” to enhance Ballarat’s water reserves.
“We’ve been doing some work on looking at an aquifer recharge project at Ballarat west, which is tied in with the growth zone (which is) both residential, but also the BWEZ,” Mr O’Donohue said.
“That was a joint project between the government, ourselves and the City of Ballarat. We’re just about concluding that project at the moment, but it looks like an aquifer recharge has potential for future use.
The aquifer was utilised during the 2000s to help the city cope with the millennium drought.
“We’re obviously keen with the city to be looking at what opportunities that might give us to recharge into the aquifer, but then take water out for appropriate uses as we move forward."
Mr O’Donohue said the aquifer was utilised during the 2000s to help the city cope with the millennium drought.
“It was being used as part of Ballarat’s water supply at one stage during the drought. It was supplying nearly 20 per cent of Ballarat’s water supply (during the drought),” he said.
Southern Rural Water is the managing authority of the aquifer, which is currently being held in reserve, but CHW has a licence to extract 1700 megalitres per year.
City of Ballarat general manager of city services Terry Demeo said plans for the aquifer recharge were in their “infancy”.
“The City of Ballarat, Central Highlands Water and state agencies are researching the idea of an Aquifer Recharge Project to inform a feasibility study. The idea is therefore in its infancy,” Mr Demeo said.
“The idea focuses on two key components: (one is) harvesting storm water generated at the BWEZ and using the water to recharge the aquifer (and two is) potentially allowing businesses who participate in the scheme to take advantage of some of the water used to recharge the aquifer.”
The BWEZ stage one plan also includes a storm water system to be constructed over the next 12 months.
