WHILE drinking reclaimed mine water is causing some controversy around Bendigo, for 700 firefighters this weekend the water will be a great bonus.
The firefighters will converge on Bendigo for the State Urban Fire Brigades Championships, secure in the knowledge there will be water aplenty for the hotly contested annual competition thanks to Bendigo Mining.
The CFA will collect about 20,000 litres of recycled water from Bendigo Mining’s New Moon water treatment plant site today, allowing the championships to go ahead and reducing the demand on the City of Greater Bendigo’s potable water system.
Seventy four CFA brigades and teams from Western Australia and Tasmania, will compete in the weekend championships.
Officer in charge of Bendigo Fire Station Alan Ellis said the prolonged drought and water restrictions across Victoria had threatened the future of the championships unless alternative water sources could be identified.
"The Victorian CFA had said the championships weren’t to go ahead unless we could access recycled
water, or reclaimed water from Bendigo Mining," Mr Ellis said.
"We thank the company for its generous support of this important event in the volunteer firefighters’ calendar.
"Without the recycled mine water, it would, in all likelihood, not have been possible to run these championships given the current water circumstances in the Bendigo region."
Bendigo Mining’s health, safety and environment manager Andrew Mattiske said the company was proud to support the championships.
He said the event was also a great economic boost for the region.
"We have hundreds of firefighters coming to Bendigo to stay in the region," Mr Mattiske said.
"The staging of the championships will no doubt attract thousands of supporters to the event at the same time.
"Over the past few summers we have all been thankful for the wonderful work of the nation’s volunteer firefighters.
"We felt this was an opportunity to thank them, in some small way, for their work and at the same time, support an event that helps them showcase their skills to the broader community."
