UPDATED
A water main next to the Sunbury Square car park, on the corner of Macedon St and Evans St, burst at around 1am Monday 26 February flooding the area and affecting 3,800 businesses and homes. Services have since been restored says Great Western Water (GWW).
Six members of the Sunbury Emergency Service (SES) volunteers responded by helping to divert water away from buildings. They worked with water company staff to isolate the main water valves and shut them off. The water main is one of the key supply lines for Sunbury. Fire and rescue were also in attendance.
Councillor Jarrod Bell was among the SES volunteers to attend the emergency, he posted details of the event on the SES Facebook page. He says the shopping centre was at risk of being flooded and water was flowing into the adjacent rail corridor.
“V-line and metro representatives were also on scene assessing the situation,” says Bell. SES volunteers remained on site until 3.10am.
A spokesperson for GWW says the burst main “…temporarily affected water supply to some households in the area and the Sunbury Square Shopping Centre.
“There are currently no water supply impacts to homes in the area or the shopping centre.”
GWW is working with Sunbury Square Shopping Centre management and a trader who was impacted by the burst.
“We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate the community’s patience and understanding as we work to complete repairs as soon as possible,” says the spokesperson.
Investigations are continuing to determine the cause of the burst.
Video shared by Jarrod Bell.The flood left the car park muddy, but a clean-up operation was underway when a Sunbury Life volunteer visited the site at 10am Monday. However, sections of the car park were closed off with cones.
GWW is building two new water tanks in Melbourne’s outer west to increase water security for the Sunbury and Diggers Rest regions.
The $29m project started at Sunbury’s Bald Hill in December last year. When work is completed in 2025 the tanks will double the region’s water storage capacity and supply up to 10,000 to local properties.
The SES is currently on a recruitment drive for more members.
