Yarra Valley Water
Victoria · Melbourne North-East
Avg. Quality Score
Overview
Yarra Valley Water supplies drinking water and sewerage services to approximately 1.9 million people across Melbourne’s northern and eastern suburbs. It is the largest of the three retail water companies serving metropolitan Melbourne, both in terms of population served and geographic coverage.
History and Formation
Yarra Valley Water was established in 1995 as part of the Victorian Government’s restructure of Melbourne’s water industry. The reform divided the former Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) into a wholesale entity (Melbourne Water) and three retail distributors. Yarra Valley Water took on responsibility for the northern and eastern areas of the metropolitan region, inheriting infrastructure originally built and managed by the MMBW.
Service Area
The utility’s service area covers approximately 4,000 square kilometres, extending from the inner-city suburbs north of the Yarra River through to the outer growth corridors of Wallan and Beveridge in the north, and out to the Yarra Ranges and Healesville in the east. The area encompasses around 21 local government areas, including Banyule, Boroondara, Darebin, Manningham, Whittlesea, Nillumbik, and the Yarra Ranges.
This service area includes some of Melbourne’s fastest-growing population corridors, particularly in the northern suburbs around Craigieburn, Mickleham, and Wollert, where new residential estates are being developed at scale.
Water Supply
Like the other Melbourne retailers, Yarra Valley Water purchases treated drinking water from Melbourne Water. The bulk supply originates from Melbourne’s protected catchment reservoirs in the forested highlands east of the city, including the Thomson, Upper Yarra, Maroondah, and Sugarloaf reservoirs. Water is treated at Melbourne Water’s facilities before entering the distribution system.
A portion of Melbourne’s supply comes from the Victorian Desalination Plant at Wonthaggi, which can produce up to 150 gigalitres per year. This facility was built as a drought-response measure and is activated based on government orders.
Distribution Network
Yarra Valley Water manages approximately 9,700 kilometres of water mains and 9,600 kilometres of sewer mains. The network includes 112 tanks and reservoirs, 57 water pump stations, and 236 sewer pump stations. The varied terrain across the service area, from flat northern plains to hilly eastern suburbs, requires a carefully managed system of pressure zones.
Water Quality
Water quality in Yarra Valley Water’s service area benefits from Melbourne’s protected catchment system. The forested, closed catchments produce source water of consistently high quality with low turbidity and low mineral content. Melbourne’s water is noted for its softness compared to many other Australian capital cities.
Yarra Valley Water conducts water quality testing throughout its distribution network, monitoring parameters including E. coli, total coliforms, turbidity, pH, chlorine or chloramine residuals, and various chemical constituents. Results are published in annual water quality reports and are available on the utility’s website.
Recent Projects
Yarra Valley Water has been active in expanding infrastructure to serve Melbourne’s northern growth areas. Major projects include trunk sewer and water main extensions into new suburbs, as well as the development of recycled water networks for non-drinking purposes in selected areas.
The utility has invested in its Aurora recycled water scheme and other alternative water initiatives. Yarra Valley Water is also progressing digital transformation projects, including smart metering and advanced network monitoring, to improve operational efficiency and customer service. Energy efficiency and emissions reduction programs are in place across the organisation’s operations, including biogas generation at its sewage treatment plants.
Key Facts
- Population Served
- 1,900,000
- Treatment Plants
- 0 (wholesale supply from Melbourne Water)
- Source Water
- Surface water, Desalination (via Melbourne Water)
- Suburbs Covered
- 303
Suburbs Served
Avg. Hardness
Avg. pH
Avg. Fluoride
Utility overview
- State
- Victoria (VIC)
- Service Area
- Melbourne North-East
- Website
- www.yvw.com.au
- Data Source
- View water quality data
Supply zones
50 supply zones operated by Yarra Valley Water
Aintree
6 suburbs
Alphington
40 suburbs
Badger Creek
Bangholme
2 suburbs
Brahams Road
3 suburbs
Bundoora
Chirnside Park
Coldstream
3 suburbs
Craigieburn
Croydon
Diamond Creek
Doncaster
38 suburbs
Eltham
Emerald
Glen Waverley
Glenroy
Greensborough
Healesville
4 suburbs
Heidelberg
Hurstbridge
Ivanhoe
Kalkallo
Kangaroo Ground
5 suburbs
Kew
Lilydale
Lower Plenty
5 suburbs
Lyrebird Avenue
3 suburbs
Malvern
Mitcham
32 suburbs
Montrose
Mooroolbark
Mount Evelyn
Northcote
Plenty
Preston
32 suburbs
Ridge/Monbulk
Seville
5 suburbs
Silvan
Somerton
Sunbury
3 suburbs
Templestowe
31 suburbs
Wallan
3 suburbs
Warburton
Warranwood
Whittlesea
4 suburbs
Woori Yallock
4 suburbs
Yarra Glen
Yarra Junction
3 suburbs
Yarrambat
7 suburbs
Suburbs served by Yarra Valley Water
303 suburbs with water quality data
Abeckett Street
VIC
Aintree
VIC
Alphington
VIC
Armadale
VIC
Armadale North
VIC
Arthurs Creek
VIC
Ashburton
VIC
Ashwood
VIC
Attwood
VIC
Auburn
VIC
Auburn South
VIC
Avonsleigh
VIC
Badger Creek
VIC
Balwyn
VIC
Balwyn East
VIC
Balwyn North
VIC
Bangholme
VIC
Banyule
VIC
Bayswater North
VIC
Bedford Road
VIC
Bellfield
VIC
Bend Of Islands
VIC
Bennettswood
VIC
Beveridge
VIC
Big Pats Creek
VIC
Blackburn
VIC
Blackburn North
VIC
Blackburn South
VIC
Box Hill
VIC
Box Hill Central
VIC
Box Hill North
VIC
Box Hill South
VIC
Brentford Square
VIC
Briar Hill
VIC
Broadmeadows
VIC
Bruces Creek
VIC
Brunswick
VIC
Brunswick East
VIC
Brunswick West
VIC
Bulla
VIC
Bulleen
VIC
Bulleen South
VIC
Bundoora
VIC
Burwood
VIC
Burwood East
VIC
Burwood Heights
VIC
Calder Park
VIC
Cambarville
VIC
Camberwell
VIC
Camberwell East
VIC
Camberwell North
VIC
Camberwell South
VIC
Camberwell West
VIC
Campbellfield
VIC
Canterbury
VIC
Castella
VIC
Chadstone
VIC
Chapel Street North
VIC
Chirnside Park
VIC
Christmas Hills
VIC
Chum Creek
VIC
Clayton
VIC
Coburg
VIC
Coburg North
VIC
Cockatoo
VIC
Coldstream
VIC
Collins Street East
VIC
Collins Street West
VIC
Coolaroo
VIC
Cotham
VIC
Cottles Bridge
VIC
Craigieburn
VIC
Croydon
VIC
Croydon Hills
VIC
Croydon North
VIC
Croydon South
VIC
Dallas
VIC
Dandenong South
VIC
Darraweit Guim
VIC
Deepdene
VIC
Deepdene Dc
VIC
Diamond Creek
VIC
Diggers Rest
VIC
Dixons Creek
VIC
Domain Road Po
VIC
Don Valley
VIC
Doncaster
VIC
Doncaster East
VIC
Doncaster Heights
VIC
Donnybrook
VIC
Donvale
VIC
Doreen
VIC
Eaglemont
VIC
East Warburton
VIC
Eden Park
VIC
Eltham
VIC
Eltham North
VIC
Emerald
VIC
Epping
VIC
Epping Dc
VIC
Fairfield
VIC
Fawkner
VIC
Fernshaw
VIC
Ferny Creek
VIC
Flinders Lane
VIC
Forest Hill
VIC
Gembrook
VIC
Gilberton
VIC
Gladstone Park
VIC
Glen Iris
VIC
Glen Waverley
VIC
Glenferrie South
VIC
Glenroy
VIC
Gowanbrae
VIC
Greensborough
VIC
Greenvale
VIC
Greythorn
VIC
Gruyere
VIC
Hadfield
VIC
Hartwell
VIC
Hawksburn
VIC
Hawthorn
VIC
Hawthorn East
VIC
Hawthorn North
VIC
Hawthorn West
VIC
Healesville
VIC
Healesville Main Street
VIC
Healesville Post Shop
VIC
Heathmont
VIC
Heathwood
VIC
Heidelberg
VIC
Heidelberg Heights
VIC
Heidelberg Rgh
VIC
Heidelberg West
VIC
Houston
VIC
Humevale
VIC
Hurstbridge
VIC
Ivanhoe
VIC
Ivanhoe East
VIC
Ivanhoe North
VIC
Jacana
VIC
Kalkallo
VIC
Kallista
VIC
Kalorama
VIC
Kangaroo Ground
VIC
Keon Park
VIC
Kerrimuir
VIC
Kew
VIC
Kew East
VIC
Kilsyth
VIC
Kilsyth South
VIC
Kingsbury
VIC
Kooyong
VIC
La Trobe University
VIC
Laburnum
VIC
Lalor
VIC
Lalor Plaza
VIC
Launching Place
VIC
Lilydale
VIC
Little Lonsdale Street
VIC
Lower Plenty
VIC
Macclesfield
VIC
Macleod
VIC
Macleod West
VIC
Malvern
VIC
Malvern East
VIC
Malvern North
VIC
Mandalay
VIC
Mcmahons Creek
VIC
Meadow Heights
VIC
Menzies Creek
VIC
Mernda
VIC
Merrifield
VIC
Mickleham
VIC
Middle Camberwell
VIC
Mill Park
VIC
Millgrove
VIC
Mitcham
VIC
Mitcham North
VIC
Monash University
VIC
Monbulk
VIC
Mont Albert
VIC
Mont Albert North
VIC
Montmorency
VIC
Montrose
VIC
Mooroolbark
VIC
Morang South
VIC
Mount Dandenong
VIC
Mount Evelyn
VIC
Mount Toolebewong
VIC
Mount Waverley
VIC
Mulgrave
VIC
North Pole
VIC
North Warrandyte
VIC
Northcote
VIC
Northcote South
VIC
Northland Centre
VIC
Notting Hill
VIC
Nunawading
VIC
Nutfield
VIC
Oak Park
VIC
Oakleigh
VIC
Oakleigh East
VIC
Olinda
VIC
Panton Hill
VIC
Park Orchards
VIC
Pascoe Vale
VIC
Pascoe Vale South
VIC
Plenty
VIC
Plumpton
VIC
Prahran East
VIC
Preston
VIC
Preston Lower
VIC
Preston South
VIC
Preston West
VIC
Rangeview
VIC
Reefton
VIC
Regent West
VIC
Research
VIC
Reservoir
VIC
Reservoir East
VIC
Reservoir North
VIC
Reservoir South
VIC
Ringwood
VIC
Ringwood East
VIC
Ringwood North
VIC
Rockbank
VIC
Rosanna
VIC
Roxburgh Park
VIC
Royal Melbourne Hospital
VIC
Saint Helena
VIC
Sassafras
VIC
Sassafras Gully
VIC
Scoresby Bc
VIC
Seville
VIC
Seville East
VIC
Sherbrooke
VIC
Silvan
VIC
Smiths Gully
VIC
Somerton
VIC
South Morang
VIC
St Andrews
VIC
St Helena
VIC
St Kilda Road Central
VIC
St Kilda Road Melbourne
VIC
Steels Creek
VIC
Stradbroke Park
VIC
Strathewen
VIC
Studley Park
VIC
Sunbury
VIC
Surrey Hills
VIC
Surrey Hills North
VIC
Surrey Hills South
VIC
Sylvester
VIC
Tarrawarra
VIC
Taylors Hill
VIC
Templestowe
VIC
Templestowe Lower
VIC
The Patch
VIC
The Pines
VIC
Thomastown
VIC
Thornbury
VIC
Thornhill Park
VIC
Toolangi
VIC
Toorak
VIC
Tooronga
VIC
Tremont
VIC
Tullamarine
VIC
Tunstall Square Po
VIC
University Of Melbourne
VIC
Upper Wallan
VIC
Vermont
VIC
Vermont South
VIC
Viewbank
VIC
Wallan
VIC
Wandin East
VIC
Wandin North
VIC
Warburton
VIC
Warburton East
VIC
Warrandyte
VIC
Warrandyte South
VIC
Warranwood
VIC
Watsonia
VIC
Watsonia North
VIC
Watsons Creek
VIC
Wattle Glen
VIC
Wattle Park
VIC
Wesburn
VIC
Westmeadows
VIC
Wheelers Hill
VIC
Whittlesea
VIC
Wollert
VIC
Wonga Park
VIC
Woodstock
VIC
Woori Yallock
VIC
World Trade Centre
VIC
Yallambie
VIC
Yan Yean
VIC
Yarra Glen
VIC
Yarra Junction
VIC
Yarrambat
VIC
Yellingbo
VIC
Yering
VIC
Disclaimer: Information on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or professional guidance. Data is sourced from Yarra Valley Water (2023-24 annual report). Values shown are based on the most recent published water quality reports and may not reflect real-time conditions at your tap. For specific health concerns, consult a qualified health professional or contact Yarra Valley Water directly. See our Terms of Use.