GWMWater has announced that Brim, Beulah, Sea Lake and Woomelang residents will receive a drinking water supply by the end of the year.

A new 132-kilometre pipeline will run from Warracknabeal to Sea Lake, via Brim, Beulah, Hopetoun and Woomelang.

Cr Massey said it was great news for the towns.

“This is something we have been waiting a while for and we are pleased that GWMWater has seen the need to provide these towns with water,” he said.”

Cr Massey said it was important rural towns received the same services as their metropolitan counterparts.

“Every community in remote areas of the state wants to feel that they are treated the same as communities in Melbourne,” he said.

“Drinking water is an essential service, just like mobile phone coverage and recreational water.”

Cr Massey said the upgrades would add life to the small towns.

“Hopefully it will help them attract more people in the future as well,” he said.

GWMWater managing director Mark Williams said construction might start next month.

“The option of a pipeline was evaluated against the cost of building water treatment plants in the towns and treating water locally and proved to be the most cost effective solution,” he said. 

“The provision of drinking water is being reinstated in Beulah, Brim and Woomelang, after these towns were downgraded to regulated supplies in 2011. 

“This is a great initiative that is being welcomed by our customers. 

“Not only does it provide these towns with drinking quality water, it has the potential to attract newcomers and businesses to the towns.” 

Mr Williams said the water authority would source the pipeline water from Lake Bellfield and would treat it to Australian Drinking Water Guidelines at the Warracknabeal Water Treatment Plant.

“GWMWater has been working with rural landowners along the proposed route in readiness for contractor Mitchell Water Australia to start works as early as February 2018,” he said. 

GWMWater spokesman Andrew Rose said less than 10 per cent of Wimmera residents did not have access to supplied drinking water.

The authority supplies water to about 30 towns, while another 40 do not have access to drinking water.

Towns without drinking water include Kaniva, Goroke, Apsley, Harrow, Marnoo, Glenorchy, Jung, Pimpinio, Yaapeet, Dooen, Kiata and Tarranyurk.