By JESSE GRAHAM
A YARRA Glen man has demanded the council return a decommissioned water standpipe for public use, and has rallied hundreds of community members behind the cause.
But the Yarra Ranges Council has said the pipe was used illegally by residents and businesses, and was shut down for ‘occupational health and safety’ reasons after the council was left $4000 out-of-pocket.
Joe Balog has asked the council to return a water standpipe, decommissioned on 31 July, to the corner of Steels Creek Road and Yarra Glen-Eltham Road.
Mr Balog, who lost his house in the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and does not have a water connection, said the loss of the water access was a blow to people who depended on it for day-to-day water supplies.
He said that other residents had been incensed by the standpipe being removed, and that he had 497 signatures on a petition calling for its return.
According to Mr Balog, the standpipe had been accessed by community members who weren’t connected to a water main, and said it would be hard for residents to stay well-supplied over summer.
Yarra Ranges Council’s Director of Environment and Engineering, Mark Varmalis, told the Mail that residents and businesses had been using the pipe to avoid paying for water through Yarra Valley Water.
Mr Varmalis said that in the last financial year, council was charged $4122 for the water taken from the pipe.
“It works out to be over 1.4 million litres of water per year, or approximately 3900 litres per day – the average person uses 149 litres per day,” he said.
The standpipe, which was under council control, had signage placed on it directing users to a Yarra Valley Water supply point 80 metres away, and had locks placed on it to restrict access.
These were cut off by unknown people.
“As there is a Yarra Valley Water access point close by and because people were ignoring the OH&S warnings, the standpipe was decommissioned,” he said.
Mr Balog said he had no knowledge of locks or signage being placed on the stand, and said he wanted it back and available for public use.
He said that he did not object to the council bringing the standpipe back and charging users for water taken.
“I’m not begging for free water,” he said.
“I want it restored – like all these people I’ve been talking to – and to have it clearly signposted that it’s only for people without town water.”
Mr Balog said that residents would truly feel the sting of the pipe’s absence during summer, and said he wanted it back before the fire season began.
“That water is needed for people who do not have town water,” he said.
“It is its primary purpose and people depend on it.”
Mr Varmalis was asked whether people using the standpipe before it was removed were breaking the law.
He said that, under the Safe Drinking Water Act 2003, Yarra Valley Water must ensure any water taken from hydrants or filling stations was ‘used appropriately’.
“Both Yarra Valley Water and council cannot ensure that is the case for an uncontrolled standpipe,” Mr Varmalis said.
He said that Yarra Valley Water had a system where residents and businesses obtain a permit to take water from filling stations or hydrants, and that users without a permit were breaking the law.
“Any person using the standpipe for either domestic or commercial use without a permit is in breach of Yarra Valley Water – Water Restriction By-laws and the Safe Water Drinking Act 2003,” he said.
Mr Balog said he planned to deliver the petition to the council eventually, and that he would not give up his fight.
