Barwon Water has submitted a review of the bulk entitlement for the sustainable use of the Anglesea borefield, which was last used in 2020.
The borefield can access groundwater from the Lower Eastern View Formation aquifer, which stretches from the Otway foothills to the ocean, as deep as 700m below the surface.
Barwon Water’s review is now with the Victorian Minister for Water, Harriet Shing, and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).
Barwon Water General Manager Planning, Delivery and Environment, Seamus Butcher, said the review was not about seeking to increase our extraction limits.
“This is to inform how we best manage the borefield into the future and ensure we continue to protect the natural environment,” he said
“We remain committed to protecting the environment and groundwater dependent ecosystems.”
No groundwater is currently being extracted from the borefield, which is made up of seven production bores across two sites.
The borefield was last used to supplement Geelong, Surf Coast and the Bellarine’s drinking water supplies in 2019–20. Apart from a six-month pump test in the first half of 2022 that was used to help inform this review, it has remained on standby since this time.
An extensive range of work was conducted to inform the review, including:
- Reviewing the conceptual site model and groundwater model
- Undertaking scenario forecast modelling to determine how the system may respond to potential future groundwater pumping activities and climate change scenarios
- Identifying the potential impacts of taking groundwater without having the appropriate triggers and controls in place
- Identifying whether any improvements can be made to the controls and triggers contained within the current bulk entitlement, to protect the environmental values and health of groundwater dependent ecosystem
Featured image: Camcp/shutterstock.com
