The Wimmera Mallee Pipeline is one of Australia's most significant water-saving projects.

The $688 million project involves building almost 9,000 kilometres of reticulated pipeline to replace 17,800 kilometres of inefficient open channels, saving around 100 billion litres of water a year.

The project will supply stock and domestic water to 7,000 rural customers and 36 towns across a region that covers almost 10 per cent of Victoria, from the Grampians to the Murray River. It will provide a sustainable water supply system to meet the needs of the Wimmera Mallee region for the long term.

The old, open channel system is unsustainable -  more than 80 per cent of water is wasted through seepage and evaporation. Of up to 120 billion litres of water released from storages in the Grampians each year, only 17 billion litres of water reaches customers on farms and in towns.

The project is a partnership between the Victorian Government, the Federal Government and Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water Corporation, on behalf of the regional community. The Victorian Government is contributing $266 million to the project.

The project will drive growth in the region and provide a sustainable future for the regional community through:

• Provision of a reliable source of high-quality water to farms, towns and businesses, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Returning water savings as environmental flows to five major river systems, including the heritage-listed Wimmera and Glenelg Rivers.
• Returning water savings to nominated recreational lakes and other water bodies in the region with high conservation value.
• Allocating water savings for urban, rural and commercial growth opportunities, such as on-farm diversification and new industry.

More than 7500 kilometres of pipe has been installed to date. Water is now flowing to towns and rural customers in Supply Systems 1, 2 and 5, including Antwerp, Dimboola, Dooen, Jeparit, Pimpinio, Rainbow, Tarranyurk, Yaapeet, Brim, Beulah, Berriwillock, Warracknabeal, Hopetoun, Lascelles, Woomelang, Jung, Nullawil and Culgoa. Works on Supply System 7, which transfers water from Lake Bellfield to Taylors Lake, is also complete.

Works have commenced on Supply Systems 3, 4 and 6, with emergency water supplies available in Supply Systems 3 and 4 as meters are installed. Works are on track for practical completion by the end of 2009.