Kilsyth Electorate News

MELBOURNE Water has been accused of covering up rather than fixing a water-main leak under the Greensborough Highway that wasted ``millions of litres'' of water. The leak, near the Watsonia Simpson Army Barracks, was discovered in August last year when water started pouring on to the road. Kilsyth state Liberal MP David Hodgett last week told State Parliament that Melbourne Water had been called in to fix the problem. But it had hooked the leaking supply main to a nearby stormwater drain instead, he said. ``Publicly, the problem disappeared, but hidden beneath the ground the water continued to gush into the stormwater system,'' Mr Hodgett told Parliament.

Melbourne Water capital delivery manager Kieran Moran said the leak was ``the equivalent of a trickling garden tap'' and was permanently fixed three months ago. ``Fixing leaks under a major road can be a major engineering challenge and, in this case, it required a temporary solution,'' Mr Moran said.

Mr Hodgett told Parliament the State Government should have fixed the pipe sooner. ``Since August 2007, millions of litres of precious Victorian drinking water have been wasted in Greensborough at a water main due to be replaced last winter, but deferred due to the procrastination of those opposite,'' he said.

The Morang Outlet Main, built in 1882, supplies water from the Morang Reservoir to Rosanna and has become prone to leaks and bursts. Melbourne Water has been replacing a 10km section of the pipe in stages since 2004, at a total cost of $21.4 million. Work on the final 1.4km section will close two lanes of the Greensborough Highway, between Yallambie Rd and Drysdale St, from January to March. At the same time, minor works will be undertaken to abandon another section of the old main no longer needed. Water Minister Tim Holding did not respond before deadline.