Many residents in Newlyn and adjoining townships have expressed concern about the poor quality of their present reticulated domestic water supply and we are writing to you to seek your support to have the source of the water supply returned to the Newlyn Reservoir together with the installation of a water treatment plant.

In support of this request we make the following points:

1. The Newlyn Reservoir Action Group (NRAG) was established at a public meeting held in Newlyn on 19 March 2001, to represent those residents in Allendale, Broomfield, Kingston, Newlyn, Smeaton and Springmount who receive a reticulated domestic water supply provided by Central Highlands Water.
2. The present source of this water supply is groundwater obtained from a series of bores located at Forest Hill, Kingston. The groundwater is of poor domestic quality. It is very hard (230mg/L CaCO3) and has a high salt content of over 440mg/L Total Dissolved Solids.
3. The excessive hardness and high salt content of this groundwater causes:

• Extensive corrosion and scaling of heating elements in hot water services, jugs, kettles, irons and commercial appliances such as urns, cappuccino machines and dishwashers etc. If scale collects on heating elements it shortens their life and makes appliances less efficient.
• Dripping taps caused by corrosion and/or sediment buildup of tap washers.
• Build-up of salt and/or calcium around taps and inlet & outlet pipes and shower walls and screens.
• Skin and eye problems resulting from washing, showering & bathing.
• Soaps & detergents don't lather effectively. It can also cause "tide marks" on basins, sinks, baths and toilets.
• A white film or spotting is left on glassware, crockery & cutlery and automobiles after washing.
• And, can cause health problems for people on salt limited diets.

These are some of the known problems facing consumers at present. Water is an essential commodity in our daily lives and the supply of poor quality water in the long term will have far more reaching effects than either Central Highlands Water or consumers have contemplated at this stage.

4. Before September 1999, the source of the Allendale, Broomfield, Kingston, Newlyn, Smeaton and Springmount water supply was the Newlyn Reservoir and Newlyn Reservoir Action Group is now seeking a return to the Newlyn Reservoir as the source for the regional domestic water supply.
5. And further, the proposal by Central Highlands Water to extract bore water at Tourello to provide water for the township of Clunes has far greater ramifications than just the provision of an alternative water supply for Clunes.
6. The present source of the Clunes domestic water supply is the Newlyn Reservoir.
7. The region between Newlyn and Ascot/Tourello and the surrounding district is a major agricultural, potato growing and mixed farming area that relies extensively on groundwater for irrigation purposes.
8. It is our understanding that 90% of Clunes residents do not want groundwater used for their domestic water supply and the groundwater to be extracted from the proposed bores at Tourello may cause the same problems (as set out in paragraph 3) as the groundwater being extracted from the bores at Forest Hill, as both are from basalt aquifers.
9. Also, Newlyn Reservoir Action Group is aware of several bores located near the Central Highlands Water Forest Hill bores that are used for irrigation purposes and flowed without problems until Central Highlands Water began extracting groundwater from its bores indicating there may be a problem with the sustainability of the groundwater resource. Central Highlands Water has other choices, whereas the irrigation farmers may not.
10. The switch to groundwater use for domestic purposes is also beginning to have a detrimental effect on tourism and other business ventures in this region and as a consequence is adversely affecting some business owners' incomes.
11. Newlyn Reservoir Action Group objects to Central Highlands Water extracting groundwater at Forest Hill, Kingston, for general domestic use, on the grounds that:

• Groundwater in the Central Highlands region is of poor domestic quality.

• Groundwater in this region would be better used mainly for agricultural purposes.

• Central Highlands Water should upgrade the Newlyn Reservoir by
  installing a water treatment plant and use this surface water to supply
  reticulated domestic water to this region, including the towns of Allendale, Broomfield, Kingston, Newlyn, Smeaton, Springmount and Clunes.