Along with the other two metropolitan water retailers, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water, City West Water purchases bulk water and sewerage services from our wholesaler, Melbourne Water.
Melbourne Water manages Melbourne’s water supply catchments and dams, removes and treats most of Melbourne’s sewage, and manages rivers, creeks and major drainage systems in and around Melbourne. For more information on Melbourne Water visit their website at www.melbournewater.com.au
City West Water provides drinking water, sewerage, trade waste and recycled water services to customers in Melbourne’s Central Business District and inner and western suburbs.
We also work with the other water retailers and Melbourne Water to develop water conservation plans, and cross-industry contingency plans which are put in place to deal with emergency situations and to manage our water resources.
The water cycle
Melbourne Water and the metropolitan water retailers have different roles in the overall management of water.
City West Water’s role in the water cycle – from catchment to bay:
Precipitation/RainWater is collected from rainfall in protected catchment areas to the north and east of Melbourne.
Storage
Rainwater is stored in the Thomson, Upper Yarra, O’Shannassy, Silvan, Sugarloaf, Maroondah and Greenvale reservoirs, which are managed by Melbourne Water. Water may be stored in these reservoirs for many years. A long period of storage helps to purify the water naturally.
Treatment
The stored water is mostly purified through natural processes. The water may require further treatment before it is suitable for drinking.
Supply to City West Water
Purified water leaves Melbourne Water's reservoirs and enters the pipes of the three retail water companies (City West Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water) so that it can be distributed to customers in the Melbourne metropolitan area.
Supply to Customers
City West Water maintains a network of water mains/pipes that deliver quality drinking water to our customers.
Waste Collection
City West Water collects all water and waste that enters the sewer within our service area and transports it to the Altona or Western Treatment Plant for treatment.
Treatment
Sewage is treated at our treatment plant in Altona or at Melbourne Water’s Western Treatment Plant. At the Western Treatment Plant, effluent is treated using a modern lagoon system and naturally occurring bacteria to break down the biodegradable material.
Recycled Water
Some of the sewage collected can be treated and reused. The use of recycled water will help to reduce the consumption of drinking water. Recycled water is produced after waste water has gone through both the standard treatment process and a further treatment process to produce various classes of recycled water as defined by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA). City West Water plays a part in maintaining the quality of sewage reaching the treatment plants through its Cleaner Production program, which helps local industries to reduce salt and pollutants entering the sewage system.
The Bay
Treated effluent is discharged into Port Phillip Bay.