GWMWater communications manager Helen Friend said the Small Town Water Quality trial tested individual household water treatment units.

The units are small treatment systems that treat the water going into individual households.

Mrs Friend said the units were an alternative to a centralised treatment plant.

“For many of our very small communities that have 100 households or less, the cost of a centralised treatment plant is not viable,” she said.

“This trial looks at the operational costs and maintenance requirements of the small units and if they are more cost-effective than a larger plant.”

She said the trial had been running for a few months.

“It is going well and we are already starting to get interesting data coming back,” she said.

“We will run the trial for 12 months, then look at the range of information we receive and decide if the units are a viable option.”

While the water is not guaranteed as drinking water, residents have noticed a difference.

“We have terrific support from residents and they are regularly giving us feedback about their observations,” Mrs Friend said.

“We aren’t saying they are getting quality drinking water but from a customer point of view they are getting much cleaner water.”

Mrs Friend said GWMWater would work closely with residents throughout the trial.

“We chose Pimpinio because of the size of the town and it was a good example of a small Wimmera community,” she said.

“It is also close to Horsham, which makes it easier for our staff.”

Pimpinio has a regulated water supply from the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline, but the water does not meet requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Pimpinio residents use rainwater tanks for drinking water.

Mrs Friend said it was too early to tell whether the units would be rolled out into other towns.