Plan for quarry water

By Paul Pickering
YARRA Valley Water has praised Knox council’s plan to utilise water from the disused Ferntree Gully quarry site.
The water will be used for council works such as tree watering, street sweeping, drain cleaning, dust suppression and concrete grinding and cutting.
Knox mayor Jim Penna said: “The use of (this) water instead of hydrant water for these services saves approximately 25,000 litres of drinking water per day.
“Arrangements have been made to install the necessary infrastructure to pump this water to a suitable location.”
Tests on the quarry water confirmed that it was suitable for industrial purposes.
Tony Kelly, managing director of Yarra Valley Water, applauded Knox’s proactive stance on water conservation.
“It’s terrific that Knox council have explored using alternative water sources and are reducing the long term need for drinkable water.”
Mr Kelly noted that the measure would be of particular value should Stage 4 restrictions be introduced.
“Under Stage 4 restrictions, gardens cannot be watered at any time with drinkable water, however, Knox council would be able to continue watering gardens and trees of significance with recycled water from the Ferntree Gully quarry site,” he said.
The council is currently considering an investigation into the possibility of allowing industrial operators to use water from the quarry site.