Victorian town finally gets drinking water, but not everyone is happy

Kaniva finally connects to drinkable mains water, but not all residents want it on tap Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 8:30am In short: Kaniva was Victoria's largest town without mains drinking water until it gained access last month, but not everyone is making the switch. Residents in the west Victorian town have for more than a century relied on rainwater and bore water, with some residents opting to remain on tank water over concerns about water prices. What's next? Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water says residents with connections to the town's existing bore have automatically gained access to the new drinkable supply. A west Victorian town is no longer without mains drinking water, but not everyone will be making the switch to the new drinkable supply. Kaniva is a town of about 900 people located 114 kilometres west of Horsham in the Wimmera and was previously the largest town in the state without a drinkable water supply. On June 26, Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (GWM Water) announced mains water was finally available after a pipeline to the Dimboola Water Treatment Plant was connected. Residents had relied on rainwater and the town's bore water for more than a century, but some have vowed to continue using tank water over concerns about increased water prices. The farming town's bore water, which was classified as undrinkable, has been converted to the new mains supply. Kaniva resident and school teacher Dylan Feduniw moved to Kaniva in 2020 and was shocked when he realised residents relied on rainwater for their drinking water. "It was a bit of surprise," he said. "The water in some parts of the town had a bit of a smell to it and was definitely not drinkable." Since then he had been a strong advocate for clean water for the town. "My heart kind of went out for some of the local residents who don't have many rainwater tanks," Mr Feduniw said. "You know in the summer it's quite warm and dry and it would have been pretty hard going for I think a lot of these people." He said the new drinking water would be a benefit for hygiene, and provide water security to residents, while also saving businesses money from carting water. "We know that rainwater isn't always guaranteed, and the climate these days are so adverse that when it is dry … and when those rainwater tanks run dry, families really struggle for drinking water and quite often they'll be purchasing water," he said. "Families [have] grown up with it [so] they didn't really complain about it." He understood some residents would be concerned about water prices. "All I can say is that this is going to benefit people that haven't got water security … marginalised people in society need to be a priority in some sense and it's going to benefit everyone altogether," he said. "If we're healthier as a community, if we have water as a community … if we can all turn to the tap and all fill up our drink bottles, then I think that as a town we will be better for it." Butcher Bob Bones said the new mains water would benefit his business. "Before [we had drinking water] for our food safety plan, we had to do water testing four times a year and that was as much as $100 a quarter," Mr Bones said. "So, that's a $400 saving even though the water will be dearer, it's a good thing." He said the water was also good for doing dishes. "I'm quite happy for it, because for cleaning the glass and the stainless steel, it doesn't leave a residue," he said. "[Before] it was very hard water with a lot of minerals in it; it would leave a lot of stains and stuff." A community divided Kaniva poolside caravan park manager Taryn Carter is one of the residents opting to remain on rainwater. "Living in town and having rainwater tanks, which we've had for years, I don't really need the new treated water," Ms Carter said. "You've got the tank water there to use, you've already got the tanks and already plumbed to the rainwater and it's probably cheaper." She said the potential cost had not really crossed her mind. "You have to pay it whether you want it or not," she said. "So, we just won't use as much … we do like to maintain the garden and lawns, so we may not be watering as much." According to GWM Water, residents connected to rainwater would need to switch to the main water line to access the new supply. However, households and businesses connected to the town's bore water would automatically receive it. Ms Carter said the new water supply would definitely help the caravan park residents, who had been on bore water. "Obviously, the water supply there before wasn't suitable for drinking, so a lot of them had to cart their own water and buy their own water," she said. "But, now it'll be heaps easier for them." Former Kaniva Lions club president Malcolm Eastwood said the cost of water was the biggest concern for many residents. "People are expecting their water bills to probably double in price," he said. "No-one's been billed for the cost of that new potable water, but the billing will come out from now on. "People are just concerned: what is the price going to be and how much is my bill going to go up by? "Overall, I think it's going to be probably a positive for the town, but it's going to take a while for us to accept new changes."