Safe, clean and reliable water every day
In 2024–25, we provided over 160 billion litres of high-quality drinking water. Every drop met our Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, which is our national standard for safe, high quality drinking water.
We understand your experiences with drinking water may be different depending on where you have lived. In Melbourne, tap water is safe to drink straight from the tap. You can still choose to boil or filter it if you prefer, but it isn’t necessary for safety.
Check the water quality results in your area.
How we keep your water safe
All water goes through a number of treatment steps before it reaches your home.
We disinfect the water to remove harmful germs. We also filter it when needed to remove dirt and other particles. These steps help make sure the water from your tap is clean and safe to drink.
We test your water regularly
Our lab team conduct over 63,000 tests each year from over 1,200 sample taps at customer properties.
We check for microbiological bacteria, chemicals,physical parameters and other substances to make sure safe water is delivered straight to your tap – ready for you to drink with confidence, every time.
Where your water comes from
Most of our drinking water comes from protected catchments.
These are natural areas where we collect rainwater and are closed to the public. This helps keep the water clean. As the water flows into reservoirs, it is naturally filtered, so needs less treatment to meet drinking standards.
If your water looks, tastes or smells different
From time to time, your tap water may look, taste or smell a little different. This is usually temporary and does not affect the safety of your drinking water.
Changes can happen after maintenance works, repairs, bursts, changes in water flow, or when water is supplied from a different source. Most issues resolve quickly on their own.
If there is ever a risk to the safety of your drinking water, we will contact affected customers straight away. This reflects Yarra Valley Water's approach to water quality incidents and customer notification.
Cloudy or milky looking water
Cloudy or milky water is usually caused by tiny air bubbles in the water.
This can happen after water main repairs, maintenance works, or changes in water pressure. Although it may look unusual, the water is safe to drink.
To check if air bubbles are the cause, fill a clear glass and let it sit for a few minutes.If the water clears from the bottom up, the cloudiness was caused by air bubbles escaping.
Change in smell or taste
Occasionally, your water may taste or smell different.
This can happen when water comes from a different source, or because of the small amount of chlorine used to keep drinking water safe as it travels through the network.
While the taste may change, the water remains safe to drink and continues to meet drinking water standards.
Sediment
Sometimes naturally occurring particles in the water can be stirred up by changes in water flow, such as after a burst water main, leak or maintenance work. This may make the water look discoloured or leave small amounts of sediment in a glass, kettle or jug.
In some cases, discoloured water can also be caused by plumbing within your property, such as old or corroded pipes. The best first step is to run a cold tap for a few minutes. If the problem continues, please contact us so we can investigate
If you have concerns about the water quality at your property, please call us on 1300 304 688.