Wendouree Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Wendouree's drinking water is supplied by Central Highlands Water, drawing from the Ballarat Water Supply System including Bonny Doon Reservoir and the upper Moorabool River catchment on the Great Divide plateau for the City of Ballarat LGA in Victoria. Water hardness in Wendouree is measured at 28.5 mg/L — classified as soft — far below the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) aesthetic guideline of 200 mg/L published by NHMRC. Wendouree — a large western suburb of Ballarat, home to Lake Wendouree (the Melbourne 1956 Olympic rowing venue), the Wendouree shopping precinct, and the Ballarat Botanical Gardens at the lake's southern edge — receives the characteristically soft water of the Ballarat highland supply system, one of Victoria's most historically significant cities.

Wendouree's soft supply reflects the Devonian granite and Palaeozoic volcanic geology of the Ballarat Great Divide headwater catchment. The Moorabool River headwaters and local reservoir catchments near Ballarat drain the Devonian granite uplands of the Central Highlands — chemically resistant crystalline terrain contributing negligible dissolved minerals. The Bonny Doon Reservoir catchment draws from the basalt-covered granite plateau terrain that produces the characteristically soft, low-mineral supply. Wendouree at 28.5 mg/L and TDS 50.2 mg/L is consistent with the soft supply profile of the broader Ballarat highland region.

Wendouree residents enjoy very low limescale accumulation on taps, in kettles, and around shower fittings — descaling is an occasional rather than regular task. Hot water systems accumulate minimal scale. The low lead reading (0.002 mg/L) is reassuring. Central Highlands Water provides water quality information at chw.net.au, with all ADWG health standards consistently met. The soft supply is a practical benefit for Wendouree's residential community surrounding the historic Lake Wendouree Olympic rowing venue and the Ballarat Botanical Gardens precinct.