Community input on the Hopetoun Plan invited

The Hopetoun community is invited to have a say in the development of a plan to ensure the continued availability of safe, good quality drinking water. The Department of Water's director of water resource management, John Ruprecht, said the Draft Hopetoun water reserves draft drinking water source protection plan was part of a strategy that aimed to protect drinking water sources throughout Western Australia.

According to Mr Ruprecht:

This is an important issue for Hopetoun and we want to be sure everyone has an opportunity to be involved in the decision-making process.

Preparation of the plan has included input from landowners, the Shire of Ravensthorpe and the Water Corporation. The plan outlines the location of the drinking water reserves, existing and future usage of the water source and potential sources of contamination.

Mr Ruprecht said the original plan for the Hopetoun water reserves was developed in 1995. As a result of land use pressures, the boundary of the town wellfield was reviewed and the department proposed a new reduced boundary for the Hopetoun water reserve. The proposal was based on completed hydrogeological work, with the current plan updating and replacing the one completed in 1995.

It's vital the community understands where the water reserves are located, how they should be managed and how people can help protect them from existing and future contamination risks. Hopetoun's drinking water supply comes from Water Corporation production bores within the reserves.

The plan:

• identifies land uses, activities and risks to water quality within the reserves, and recommends management strategies to address those risks;
• makes recommendations to improve protection in the reserves to ensure a reliable, good quality water supply in the long term;
• proposes priority classification areas to ensure an appropriate level of protection from land uses in the water reserves; and
• proposes wellhead protection zones be established around each of the production bores to protect water quality.

Copies can be obtained from the Department of Water on 6364 7600 or by visiting www.water.wa.gov.au/Water

Comments on the plan can be made to the Department of Water until Wednesday, May 27.