Don't swim in channels

Goulburn-Murray Water is urging people not to swim in channels due to the safety

hazards they contain.

GMW manages more than 10,000km of channel in its delivery network. It is dangerous to

swim in any of these channels, regardless of whether they seem calm on the surface.

GMW Water Delivery Services general manager Warren Blyth said it was vital people

understand the risks of swimming in channels.

“While channels might seem like appealing places to swim, particularly during the warmer

weather, numerous hazards can lie beneath the surface,” he said.

“Debris, pipes, drains, strong undercurrents, and submerged trees and rocks can all pose

potentially significant threats to anyone who enters our channels.”

GMW channels are designed to deliver water to customers and are not designed for

recreational purposes.

In the past, water flows in channels were largely controlled by the manual removal of bars

from gates within the channels. Many of these manual gates have now been replaced by

regulators, which can be operated remotely.

“Regulators are operated automatically and can change the flow or depth of a channel

quickly,” Mr Blyth said.

“Regulator gates do not need to be opened or closed manually, and can therefore also

potentially trap people who are swimming near them.

“The only way to ensure there are no incidents in our channels is for no one to swim in our

channels. We ask everyone to do the right thing and stay safe.”

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