Prepare for bushfire season with another water source

Gippsland Water is urging residents to consider their water supply when planning for the bushfire season.

Managing director Sarah Cumming said town water supplies were designed for everyday water needs, and cautioned against relying on them in the event of a bushfire emergency.

“A bushfire event could put major strain on a town’s water supply,” Ms Cumming said.

“Everyone could be trying to turn on multiple taps at once and emergency services might need to tap into our supply.”

Ms Cumming said that although Gippsland Water has back-up measures in place, residents should include another water source in their bushfire plan.

“It’s important to plan for the worst and hope for the best when it comes to emergencies.

“It’s important that we all follow CFA advice when preparing our fire plans,” she said.

“People planning on defending their homes from bushfires, need to follow the CFA advice, ensuring they have at least 10,000L of non-mains water and suitable firefighting equipment.

Ms Cumming added that all residents should store water in the fridge, or in jugs and bottles, to make sure they have enough drinking water in the event of a nearby fire.

For resources to help prepare for a bushfire visit cfa.vic.gov.au and for emergency alerts and warnings, visit emergency.vic.gov.au.