Community update – Precautionary Boil Water Advisory lifted for Flinders, Point Leo and Shoreham

The following townships are affected by this Precautionary Boil Water Advisory:

• Flinders

• Point Leo

• Shoreham 

You no longer need to boil your water as a precaution and can use your tap water as normal.

We recommend that you flush taps for 5 minutes to draw fresh water into your internal plumbing before returning to normal water usage in your home or business. 

If anyone in your household is feeling sick as a result of drinking water, please visit your doctor or local medical centre and advise them of this notice. 

We sent email and SMS notifications to customers whose contact details we have in our system.  We also distributed letters to those we couldn’t reach via SMS or email.

We understand not all of customers received our notifications about the Precautionary Boil Water Advisory. If customers didn’t receive a notification, they can update their contact details through mysoutheastwater, to make sure they receive updates about water and sewerage related emergencies in their area.

We’ve flushed our network and all water quality sampling results came back clear. This confirms the water is safe to drink.

No. Our water quality results came back clear so there’s no need to empty your tank.  

Melbourne has some of the world’s best drinking water, which we test regularly to ensure it meets strict water quality requirements. We take any reports of suspected contamination very seriously and investigate them fully. 

To apologise for the inconvenience and reimburse you for any bottled water or containers you may have bought, we'll apply a $30 credit to the South East Water account of each property in Flinders, Point Leo and Shoreham. 

There’s no need to contact us – we’ll apply the credit to your South East Water account on your next water bill, which you’ll receive sometime in May or June.   

In areas where the boil water advisory has been lifted, we’ve confirmed through water supply testing and other investigations, that there’s no longer a concern about the water supply network.   

If the water was unsafe, you could have potentially experienced gastro-like symptoms, including diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, low fever and flatulence. 

The illness isn't life-threatening or severe for most people. However, people who are immunosuppressed, and the very young and very old may suffer more serious symptoms and should take extra precautions and be alert to emerging symptoms. 

Contact your doctor or general practitioner and let them know about this notice. 

We understand this is a worrying time for customers and some customers may not be satisfied with the level of communications we have provided in relation to this issue.   

Standard South East Water complaint handling processes should be followed with referral to our Case Management Team for response. The Team will work to respond to complaints as quickly as possible.   

If customers are not satisfied with the complaint response, they can seek independent dispute resolution advice from the Energy and Water Ombudsman.