Water Main Replacement Program

Planned works and coronavirus (COVID-19)

Our staff are working to continue to provide essential water and wastewater services and our critical maintenance and repair programs are still underway. This ensures our services can continue to run smoothly and reduces the chances or bursts or leaks.

We’re taking a number of precautions – including social distancing and additional safety measures – to ensure the safety of our staff, their families and our customers while we work.

Generally works will be carried out on the street, not on your property but if you have any concerns, please contact us on 1800 454 500 at any time. We ask that you don’t approach our staff or contractors while they’re working, as they’re following social distancing guidelines to help keep everyone safe.

We try to keep any interruption to the water supply as short as possible, however we encourage you to make sure you have enough water stored to wash your hands frequently and for 20 seconds, or ensure you have sanitiser available.

Read more on our dedicated coronavirus (COVID-19) information page here.

GVW has a rolling program to replace ageing infrastructure susceptible to ground movement and cracks leading to leaks.

Water main replacement is an ongoing asset management program designed to ensure continuity of supply and a high level of service. Determining which mains are due for replacement is done by looking at the condition of the main and its history of failures. Usually, replacement is triggered if the main experiences three failures in 12 months.

The program is part of our five year Water Plan outlined to the Essential Services Commission. More than $11million will be spent upgrading water mains during the 2018-23 period and GVW will replace more than 25km of ageing water main. New water mains are constructed from a selection of modern pipe materials such as unplasticised polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene and ductile iron.

Works generally take 3 - 8 weeks to complete, depending on the length of pipe and the complexity of the job. During this time there are only short periods when customers’ supply is interrupted, usually when the new main is being commissioned.

2019/2020 Program Status

What do I do if I am affected by works?

If you have received notice (physical or via text message) that your water supply may be affected by planned works, we recommend that you store water in containers for drinking and cooking and fill your sink or bathtub with water for washing or flushing the toilet to minimise any inconvenience. You should also turn off any appliance that uses water.

When the water supply is restored or if you are experiencing dirty water or pressure fluctuations, please run a tap at the rear of your property for about 15 minutes or until it runs clear. For more information, you can phone our 24/7 Customer Support Centre on 1800 454 500.