Between 7 and 11 May, members of the Diggers Rest community reached out to us about taste and odour issues in their water supply.
Water in Diggers Rest has always met health-based safety standards and is safe to drink. However, we know that over these few days the water did not meet community expectations. We’re sorry for the disruption and any concern this has caused.
Below is an overview of what happened and what we’ll be doing next, along with some Frequently Asked Questions.
Meet us in person
If you would like to, please come and talk to us directly. We’ve set up a coffee pop up where you can meet our local water quality and operations teams, ask questions, and hear more about what we’ve learned and what’s changing.
Location: Grove Cafe, Diggers Rest
Date: 27 May 2026
Time: 4- 7pm
This is a drop-in event. Come anytime. You do not need to register or RSVP.
What happened
This change was traced to a new water storage tank that we have built to supply parts of Diggers Rest. When we started using that tank, the water inside had been in storage longer than expected. That affected the chlorine balance and water freshness, leading to the unpleasant taste, odour and milky appearance some customers experienced.
What we have done
As soon as the issue was identified, we:
Isolated the affected supply and switched customers back to an alternative source
Flushed the local network to remove the remaining water
Carried out extensive water quality testing, with all results coming back as safe
Notified the Department of Health
Followed up directly with customers who contacted us, including arranging further testing where needed
What to expect now
Most customers should continue to see improvement. If you notice any issue with the taste, smell or appearance of your water, run cold water from a tap close to your meter for a short period. If this continues, please contact us using the details below so we can assist you directly.
Looking ahead
Before the tank is returned to service, we will put additional controls and checks in place to ensure this experience is not repeated. We will keep you informed before the tank is brought back online.
Yes. Your water has met all health based safety standards at all times, and is safe to drink.
Some customers experienced a strong chlorine, metallic taste or milky appearance.
This occurred after parts of the network were supplied from a new storage tank, where water remained in storage longer than expected.
The water is safe to drink, although the chlorine balance and freshness were impacted, which can lead to taste and odour.
We know this did not meet expectations, and we are sorry.
Milky or cloudy water is usually caused by tiny air bubbles trapped in the water. This can happen during changes in supply or movement in the system.
If you pour a glass and let it sit, the cloudiness should clear from the bottom up within a few minutes.
A small number of customers reported feeling unwell and, as a precaution, we arranged independent follow up and additional testing.
We will continue to put the right support in place for those customers.
We have:
Isolated the affected supply
Flushed the local water network to move the residual water out of the system
Undertaken extensive water quality testing
Notified and worked closely with the Department of Health
Followed up directly with customers reporting illness
As Sunbury and Diggers Rest grow, the community needs more water.
The new tank helps ensure there is enough water available for the community now and into the future, including during peak demand and emergencies.
The new water storage tank will help support a safe and reliable water supply for the growing community.
The new storage tank will:
Add 20 million litres of extra water storage
Help maintain reliable water pressure during peak demand
Strengthen the network as the population grows Support future communities to Melbourne Water’s larger supply network
There is no issue with the tank. In this case, water age in the tank was longer than expected before entering the system, which contributed to the issue.
While all safety systems functioned as expected, the customer experience was not acceptable, and we are taking steps to prevent this happening again.
No. The tank has been removed from supply to Diggers Rest while investigations and additional controls are put in place.
It will not be returned to service until we are confident this experience will not be repeated.
Before the tank is brought back online, we will:
Introduce additional controls to manage water age
Carry out enhanced flushing and turnover
Additional water quality checks
We will let you know before we bring the tank online.
Running your taps can help flush water through - start with the tap closest to your water meter, then move to a tap further away, like the back garden. Run each tap for at least 5 minutes
If the issue continues, please contact us on 13 44 99
