Wild weather in Melbourne leaves 99 suburbs with undrinkable water

Hundreds of thousands of residents across 99 suburbs are being warned to boil tap water before drinking it, after storm damage contaminated supply. Here’s which suburbs have been hit and where you can find emergency drinking water.

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Shelves have been left bare at supermarkets in Melbourne’s east as shoppers panic-buy water as another 11 suburbs are hit with undisinfected water from Silvan Dam.

Power outages amid wild weather that killed three people including a young boy on Thursday caused undisinfected water to enter the supply system, with residents being urged to boil water as a precaution.

A list of 88 affected suburbs was released on Friday morning, with another 11 — Belgrave, Belgrave Heights, Belgrave South, Ferntree Gully, Lysterfield, Lysterfield South, Selby, Tecoma, Tremont, Upper Ferntree Gully and Upwey — added to the list in the mid-afternoon.

>>> SEE FULL LIST OF AFFECTED SUBURBS BELOW

South East Water have said they’re expecting to have issues with water contamination resolved by the end of the day.

Managing Director Lara Olsen said she’s hoping for the problem to be fixed by Saturday evening, but warned customers to be careful before they’re given the all clear.

“We are hoping to lift the boil water notice by this evening but in the meantime, we’re asking customers to keep taking those precautions even though there is a low risk,” she said.

“The key advice is to boil water that you’re using for drinking or food preparation.”

Locals left with undrinkable water due to Thursday’s storms arrived with bottles and containers to South East Water’s tanker sites to fill up on Saturday morning.

At the Wally Tew Reserve in Ferntree Gully, local man Sheridan Lee arrived with three large containers after waking up to another day of a boil notice.

This morning it really hit home. Last night, we had enough water for drinking but this morning we used up all of our boiled water,” the 45-year-old said.

South East Water has water tankers out to supply the people in outer east suburbs. Picture: David Crosling

Sheridan Lee fills up at the tanker. Picture: David Crosling

“My in-laws are down in The Basin and they haven’t had any power for 48 hours. I’m picking up some water for them too.”

While out for a morning walk with her dog Frank, Ferntree Gully woman Sharni Wright also called down to the reserve to fill up a couple of water bottles.

“I didn’t actually know about the water until last night, so I had already drank it at that stage.

“I feel fine thankfully,” the 26-year-old said.

“I didn’t realise the tankers were going to be here either until I came out this morning for my workout.”

“As a precautionary measure, we’re advising residents in those suburbs to boil their water before drinking it – residents should bring water to a rolling boil before drinking, washing and preparing food, preparing baby formula, brushing teeth and making ice until further notice.”

On Saturday morning, tankers were distributing clean water from several sites around the

city’s suburbs, including at The Basin, Boronia, Ferntree Gully and

Upwey.

Emergency drinking water can be found at the following locations:

— The Basin – Millers Reserve – 1133 Mountain Highway, The Basin;

— Boronia – Tormore Reserve – Tormore Road, Boronia;

— Ferntree Gully - Ferntree Gully Arboretum – Cnr Dorset road and Francis Crescent, Ferntree Gully;

— Upper Ferntree Gully – Wally Tew Reserve – Benrock Park Drive, Ferntree Gully;

— Belgrave – Belgrave Recreational Reserve – Reserve Road, Belgrave;

— Upwey – Upwey Reserve – Chosen Avenue, Upwey.

Sharni Wright fills up at the tanker in Ferntree Gully. Picture: David Crosling

Campbellfield mother Kim Griffiths has to boil her water before cooking. Picture: Ian Currie

The Leader visited Coles and Woolies supermarkets at The Glen and Coles at Brandon Park Shopping Centre and spoke to several customers who said they were frustrated after being unable to buy water as shelves were almost bare.

One man, who had three 24-packs in his trolley, said he had panic-bought because he was scared of his family drinking “contaminated water”.

“We have been to another supermarket and couldn’t find anything, it’s scary,” the man said.

A man loads up on bottled water at The Glen after some Melbourne water sources have been contaminated after Thursday's storm. Picture: Suzan Delibasic

Empty shelves at The Glen Coles due to panic buying of bottled water after some Melbourne water sources have been contaminated after Thursday's storm. Picture: Suzan Delibasic

Michelle, of Wheelers Hill, said she had been to two different supermarkets, only to leave empty-handed.

“It’s pretty frustrating that people are panic-buying water; I hope they’re not taking more than what they need,” she said.

“I’ve been to two different supermarkets to find a 24-pack for the family and I’ve had no luck”

A Warranwood women told Leader she was angered after having “no idea” about the water supply being affected until early afternoon on Friday.

“We heard nothing this morning and neither have our neighbours because we all don’t have power to charge our phones or get online,” she said.

“We’ve got little to no reception and received a text message at 1.30pm from Yarra Valley Water alerting us not to drink the water.”

Shelves almost empty of water at Brandon Park Shopping Centre after potential contamination caused by power outages from wild weather in Melbourne. Picture: Suzan Delibasic

Power outages caused potentially unsafe water to enter the dam’s reticulation system and customer taps. The power has now returned but water in taps may still be affected in some households.

Yarra Valley Water confirmed it was is working closely with the DHHS and, as a precautionary measure, with boil water advisory is being issued until the issue is completely resolved.

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FULL LIST OF AFFECTED SUBURBS

ATTWOOD

BAYSWATER

BAYSWATER

BELGRAVE

BELGRAVE HEIGHTS

BELGRAVE SOUTH

BLACKBURN

BLACKBURN NORTH

BLACKBURN SOUTH

BORONIA

BOX HILL NORTH

BROADMEADOWS

BULLEEN

BUNDOORA

BURWOOD

BURWOOD EAST

CAMPBELLFIELD

CHIRNSIDE PARK

COBURG NORTH

COLDSTREAM

COOLAROO

CRAIGIEBURN

CROYDON

CROYDON HILLS

CROYDON NORTH

CROYDON SOUTH

DALLAS

DONCASTER

DONCASTER EAST

DONVALE

DOREEN

ELTHAM NORTH

EPPING

FAWKNER

FERNTREE GULLY

FOREST HILL

GLEN WAVERLEY

GREENSBOROUGH

GREENVALE

HEATHMONT

KALORAMA

KANGAROO GROUND

KILSYTH

KILSYTH SOUTH

KINGSBURY

LALOR

LILYDALE

LOWER PLENTY

LYSTERFIELD

LYSTERFIELD SOUTH

MEADOW HEIGHTS

MELBOURNE AIRPORT

MERNDA

MILL PARK

MITCHAM

MONBULK

MONT ALBERT NORTH

MONTMORENCY

MONTROSE

MOOROOLBARK

MOUNT DANDENONG

DONVALE MOUNT EVELYN YALLAMBIE

MOUNT WAVERLEY

NORTH WARRANDYTE

NUNAWADING

OLINDA

PARK ORCHARDS

PLENTY

RESEARCH

RESERVOIR

RINGWOOD

RINGWOOD EAST

RINGWOOD NORTH

ROXBURGH PARK

SELBY

SILVAN

SOMERTON

SOUTH MORANG

TECOMA

TEMPLESTOWE

TEMPLESTOWE LOWER

THE BASIN

THOMASTOWN

TREMONT

UPPER FERNTREE GULLY

UPWEY

VERMONT

VERMONT SOUTH

VIEWBANK

WANTIRNA

WARRANDYTE

WARRANDYTE SOUTH

WARRANWOOD

WESTMEADOWS

WOLLERT

WONGA PARK

YALLAMBIE

YARRAMBAT