Opening of Loch Dam

Recycled water for snow-making and a yearly water saving of up to 110 million litres are a step closer with the completion of a 27 million litre storage reservoir at Mt Hotham, opened on Saturday by Water Minister John Thwaites.

A pump station which has been connected to existing snow making infrastructure has also been completed for the snow season, while work continues on an upgraded sewage treatment plant to complete the system.

The storage reservoir, currently filled with stream water, will be integral to recycled water snow-making from 2007.

Mr Thwaites said that wastewater from the Mt Hotham resort would be treated to Class A standard at the treatment plant before being pumped to the snow making facility for use on Hotham’s world class slopes.

He said water recycling was a key part of the Bracks Government’s Our Water Our Future action plan.

“Using recycled water as a substitute for potable water is an effective way to protect Victoria’s water supplies against the projected shortfall caused by climate change and population growth,” Mr Thwaites said.

“Mt Hotham’s recycling system promotes the sustainable management of water, and addresses the environmental impacts of providing water services.”

Mr Thwaites said using recycled water would reduce the Mt Hotham resort’s reliance on water from Swindler’s Creek by up to 110 million litres per year, increasing environmental flows through the creek and promoting healthy waterways throughout the Upper Murray catchment.

The recycling plan will also prevent 90 million litres of secondary treated effluent from entering the Dargo River each year.

The Class A water, rated as safe by the EPA and DHS for irrigating recreational spaces and vegetable crops which are consumed raw, will also be used for toilet flushing at the Mt Hotham resort through a third pipe reticulation system.