Record dry weather impacts Wannon Water's water pipes

Record dry weather impacts Wannon Water’s water pipes

Chris EdwardsApril 7, 2025, 7:58 amApril 7, 2025

Wannon Water‘s maintenance crews have been responding to an increased number of burst pipes and water mains due to South West Victoria’s driest weather on record.

In 2024, its teams repaired 273 bursts and leaks on water mains, valves, and fire plugs across the region. This is 81 per cent more than in 2023. Following that record-breaking year, 2025 kicked off in a similar fashion, with 34 bursts reported in January—nearly double the number recorded for the same period last year. 48 more bursts were reported in February 2025, 12 per cent more than the high number for the same period in 2024.

General Manager Assets and Service Delivery Simon Hermans said the extremely dry conditions have led to increased ground movement, which has impacted the pipelines.

“When reactive soils like clay lose moisture, they shrink, causing the ground to move and put more pressure on our pipes. These soils are commonly found in our region, and this movement can lead to an increase in leaks and bursts in our water mains.”

Its assets and maintenance teams work year-round to minimise this impact, with water main renewal programs that ensure the systems remain reliable well into the future. However, the dry conditions create extra challenges.

“When it does start to rain again and the soil moisture increases, reactive soils can have the same impact on the pipes when they expand,” Hermans said.

As Victoria’s second largest urban water corporation by area, Wannon Water’s region extends from the Otways to the South Australian border and from the Grampians to the coast.

“With nearly 2,000 kilometres of water mains, we aim to respond to burst and leaks as a priority because we understand the impact that supply interruptions have on our customers. That’s why our teams have an after-hours duty roster to deal with any issues 24/7.”

Hermans said some bursts were in remote locations with difficult access, under bitumen roadways, or within busy shopping areas. “They can occur in poor weather conditions, and in heat, wind, rain and cold.

“They add fatigue to operators who may have already worked their eight-hour day. We follow a strict fatigue management procedure to assist in assuring the health and safety of our operators in these cases.”

He urged people to report burst mains on Wannon Water’s 24-hour hotline, 1300 926 666. You can also register your mobile number with us to receive a text message for any major outage during business hours.