Werribee South farmers have welcomed a new agreement that will provide up to 11,000 megalitres of recycled water to their crops each year.
Melbourne Water and Southern Rural Water have signed a 14-year bulk recycled water agreement, which guarantees Melbourne Water will supply recycled water from the Western Treatment Plant to Southern Rural Water, which will pass on the water to irrigators in Werribee South via its supply network.
The agreement is already in effect.
Melbourne Water managing director Michael Wandmaker said the agreement set out water volumes, quality requirements and delivery timings, “meaning irrigators can be certain they have reliable supply into the future”.
Amo Mason, from family-run business Mason Bros, said the agreement would offer more secure access to water.
“With our [current] water allocation of river water, the reliability of that was maybe two years’ worth of water, and if you don’t get regular rainfall … there is no water,” Mr Mason said.
“If it wasn’t for the recycled water, I’d say the majority of us farmers … would have went under.”
Fresh Select managing director John Said added: “I haven’t yet seen all the complete details, but any agreement that’s been signed with the view to improve our water quality and availability, I believe that that’s a good thing for the area.”
