Skip to content Skip to navigation
Chiltern treated water storage - dead lizard

Chiltern treated water storage - dead lizard

Information to help you understand the impacts of a dead lizard within the Chiltern treated water storage

Something out of the ordinary affected our Chiltern treated water storage and customers in Chiltern and Springhurst

We take our responsibility to provide you with safe and reliable drinking water very seriously. During a routine check of our Chiltern treated water storage on Saturday 22 October 2022, we unfortunately found a deceased lizard.

This storage, which holds more than 1.5 million litres of water, supplies around 1,500 customers in both Chiltern and Springhurst. On Monday 24 October 2022, the treated water storage was taken off-line and water started being supplied directly from our treated water storage tank at Wodonga Logic.

Your water is safe to drink

Please be assured that the water supplied from the storage tank remained disinfected at all times. We’ve worked with the Department of Health and have assessed the health risk of having consumed this water as being very low. As a precaution we will be flushing water mains within the towns and disinfecting the storage tank before it is brought back into service.

However, we wanted to let you know as we believe it is our responsibility to keep you informed about anything that affects our service quality and commitment to you.

What to do if you feel unwell

While the risk of illness from this incident is very low, if you experience gastro-like symptoms, please get in touch with your doctor and advise them of this notice.

How did the lizard get in the storage?

We are continuing to investigate how the lizard got into the storage. As part of this process we are investigating additional storage cover protections.

How to get in touch

See below for Frequently Asked Questions on this issue, however, if you have further concerns, please call us on 1300 361 622.

Frequently asked questions

What happened?

During a routine check of our Chiltern water storage on Saturday 22 October 2022, we unfortunately found a deceased lizard.

This storage, which holds more than 1.5 million litres of water, supplies around 1,500 customers in both Chiltern and Springhurst.

On Monday 24 October 2022, the treated water storage was taken off-line with water supplied directly from the treated water storage tank at Wodonga Logic.

I have drunk the water – what should I do?

The water supplied from the storage remained disinfected at all times and your tap water remained safe to drink. You do not need to filter or boil the water.

What is the risk to human health?

We understand that you may be concerned, however we have worked with the Department of Health and have assessed the health risk of having consumed this water as being very low.

Please be assured that the water supplied from the storage remained disinfected at all times. As a precaution our staff will be flushing water mains within the towns and disinfecting the storage tank before it is brought back into service.

Although the risk is considered very low, customers who experience any gastro-like symptoms are encouraged to contact their doctor and advise them of this notice.

What about vulnerable and commercial customers – what do they do?

We will be in direct contact with the shire councils, schools, nursing and maternal and child health centres, and relevant large-scale commercial customers in the affected towns to let them know about the event.

What about food manufacturers – what should they do?

Food manufacturers should refer to their HACCP plans. The water supplied from the storage remained disinfected at all times.

I have a water filter – would this have removed any bacteria?

All water filters work slightly differently, and we can’t comment on their effectiveness. Our disinfection processes kill all common bacteria and there is a very low risk of illness from drinking filtered or unfiltered tap water as a result of this event.

Do I need to flush my taps?

No. The water supplied from the storage remained disinfected at all times and your tap water remained safe to drink so you don’t need to flush the taps on your property.

My water is discoloured - why?

Our teams have been flushing water mains within Chiltern and Springhurst as an additional precaution. Sometimes flushing stirs up sediment in the water main and you may temporarily experience cloudy water from your tap. This is completely normal and can be removed by running the tap at the front of your property for a few minutes until the water is clear.
If your water supply does not clear after five minutes, please call us on 1300 361 644 (24/7).

If there’s no risk, why are you telling me?

We take our responsibility to provide you with a safe and reliable water supply very seriously. We believe we have a responsibility to keep our customers informed about anything that might impact our service quality and commitment, even if it is very low risk.

My town isn’t listed but I live nearby – should I be worried?

No. Our underground water network is connected to different storages depending on where you live. Only the towns listed receive water from this particular storage.

How did the lizard get in the water storage?

We are continuing to investigate how the lizard got into the storage. As part of this process we are investigating additional storage cover protections.

How long was the lizard in the water storage?

It is unknown as to when the lizard entered the storage but our water sampling results for all of September and up till now remained compliant and safe.

I thought we had a closed-catchment system?

We do. Our water travels underground in a series of closed pipes from Wodonga. In this case, it appears that the lizard has been able to access the storage. As part of this process we are investigating additional storage cover protections.

Customer complaints

We understand that our customers may be concerned and distressed about this issue. Our Customer Contact Centre will work to respond to complaints as quickly as possible. 
 

Would you like a callback about this issue?

Request a callback here