Nestled in the South-West corner of the state of Victoria,
at the bottom of Australia, 200miles from Melbourne, is the town of Portland.
Settled in 1800 by James Grant it provided the only sheltered deep water port
between Adelaide and Melbourne and therefore offered safe haven for passing
ships. Today Portland is a beautiful town with 10,000 residents and a thriving
fishing and tourism industry. It is, apparently, the place
to go if you want to see whales and koalas (which I assume means either the
local whales have learnt to climb trees or that the koalas can now swim). It is
a bustling hub of Australian life.
For me however, the region is famous for just one thing. It
is served by the world’s bravest water utility: Wannon Water.
Wannon Water serves 42,000 customers and they draw water
from 14 different sources across their region. They are something of a regional
peculiarity in that three of their raw water sources are drawn from large, deep
underground reservoirs which date back millennia. Unlike many utilities and
councils in Australia, Wannon Water does not suffer water shortages. Their
water is wholesome and healthy and in copious supply. Unfortunately, however,
the water from the groundwater sources just doesn’t taste that nice. It has a
mineral-rich, salty sort of taste, no doubt reflecting its long history
percolating through the ground.
Sharing this news at a state-wide event (the always
brilliant annual VicWater conference) takes a significant amount of bravado and
self-confidence. Ian Bail (GM for Service Delivery), and Kellie King (GM
Community and Corporate Services), supported by key members of their board and
executive team who were in the audience, bravely and humbly shared how they
first realised the true extent of the taste issue. It was when a local hospital
manager (in Port Fairy….best named place on earth) was quoted in the press
stating that they were removing sugary drinks and cordials as part of a health
drive, but that they would look for suitable alternatives to address the
poor water taste. This was a wake-up call for Wannon.
Wannon already provided safe clean water but some of
their customers simply didn’t like the taste. Rather than using the tap,
customers were buying sugary soft drinks. Rates of obesity and tooth decay in
the region were abnormally high. Something had to be done. Their first
approach, not surprisingly, was to propose building a nice spankingly new RO
facility which would remove the taste issues. Not cheap, but a practical
solution. Unsurprisingly when they tested this proposal with the public they
got a clear ‘no thanks’ response. People were happy with their soft drink
alternatives.
Long story short, Wannon have embarked on a number of high
profile ‘Great Tasting Water’ projects, working with the local hospital and
even daring to extend their reach beyond the water meter to provide point of
use solutions. There is much more to do of course, but the work at Wannon has
highlighted the challenge the water industry has of ensuring that the water we
provide is both wholesome and tasty. Wannon’s work has demonstrated that
if we get this wrong all sorts of wider societal problems (such as obesity and
dental decay) become rife. The challenge isn’t just about taste, it is about
mobilising all the organisations in the region so that they appreciate the
benefits, and perhaps even share the costs, associated with getting it right.
There are very few water companies that would be prepared to
enter into such an honest and open public debate. Their stance has legitimised
a community wide discussion around public health and well-being that reaches
far beyond just the taste of the tap water. Wannon Water: Bravest water
utility in the world.
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