Greater Western Water (GWW) needed to understand the available system capacity when two of the three major storages supplying the Melton water supply system, the Minns Road 20ML and 8ML tanks, were programmed to be taken offline for repair.

Due to the poor condition of the tanks it was necessary to undertake site works and this assessment helped GWW determine the repair/replacement methodology to be adopted. Future summer peak week demand scenarios were analysed using the Melton water model to assess if water supply to Melton could be maintained, taking into account various constraints including the capacity of the water treatment plant, the need to transfer water to other water supply systems and the available storage within existing tanks in the system.

UWS collaborated closely with the GWW Planning and Operations teams to optimise the operation of the Melton water supply system by harnessing operator knowledge and scenario testing using the hydraulic model.

GWW were able to undertake critical repairs to major infrastructure while maintaining water supply to a rapidly developing area to Melbourne’s west.