January 26th, 2026Keeping cool – Central Highlands Water tips

With temperatures ramping up this week Central Highlands Water managing director Jeff Haydon has some tips to keeping cool and safe.
“It has been a hot start to 2026, with heatwave conditions forecast again across the Central Highlands over the coming week.
“During periods of extreme heat, demand on the network can increase, making preparation and awareness especially important. Hot weather can cause faults and disruptions affecting our water infrastructure, which may in turn impact services to homes and businesses.
“To help you prepare for the expected extreme temperatures, we’re sharing the following important information.”

How you can prepare
Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water throughout the day, and during extremely hot weather. Remain mindful of minimising heat stress.
Where possible, limit non-essential water use, including lawn and garden watering, car washing, pool and tank filling.
To help you prepare for a potential interruption to your water supply:
• store enough drinking water in your refrigerator
• fill your kettle for use during the day
• store enough water in containers for cooking
• fill several buckets of water to flush the toilet
• fill drinking containers for pets.

Faults and emergencies
If you have a water or wastewater emergency, the CHW team can be contacted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1800 061 514. Please be mindful that wait times may be longer than normal if we’re experiencing high demand.
During extreme weather we prioritise essential and emergency works. Non-essential works are postponed for the safety of our team members and contractors.
Bushfires and your water supply
During a bushfire emergency, we may not be able to provide consistent water pressure or an uninterrupted water supply. Fire, power outages and increased water demand can disrupt or damage our systems, affecting supply. If your bushfire plan includes using water, we strongly recommend arranging an independent water source.

How we prepare
Extended periods of high temperatures can put increased demand on our water supply networks, especially during peak times. Our team closely monitor the weather forecast and carefully plan for extreme temperature shifts and heatwave conditions.
During these times, we ensure storage tanks and basins are as full as possible and plan for potential power interruptions. We also increase our readiness to respond to any impacts on our service delivery. If our water supply services are interrupted, we notify our customers wherever possible. The best way to stay informed is to visit our website and update your mobile number to receive SMS notifications when there is an interruption in your area.

Hepburn Shire Council
The council last year partnered with the Grampians Public Health Unit, Central Highlands Rural Health and 14 other agencies to pilot the Heatwave HEAT project in the region.
H = home and environment. You might need to make changes during extreme heat to stay cool, and if you can’t make changes, your vulnerability to heat is increased.
E = environment, including people living alone, working outdoors, or where people are isolated because they don’t have access to internet and alerts.
A = age and underlying conditions. If your body must work a little harder to function, then during extreme heat, your body will have to work harder again.
T = taking certain medications. We know that many common medications can prevent your body from cooling down naturally, so ask your doctor or pharmacist if that applies to you.

Fore more information on dealing with extreme heat visit the Better Health Channel website at www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au