Friday 20 November 2009

Get waterwise this summer – water conservation is everyone’s responsibility

Conserving water is everyone’s responsibility and the council is no exception says Mayor Wayne Guppy.

“We all need to conserve water to avoid shortages of supply during peak demand periods. We have garden watering restrictions in place all year round and now as summer approaches we need to be more mindful than ever of these.”

Water restrictions in place allow:

o Sprinklers, irrigation systems, soaker hoses or unattended hoses to be used from 6-8am and 7-9pm (note only one garden watering system can be used at any one time on your property);

o Odd numbered houses to water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only; and

o Even numbered houses to water on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays only

Anyone discovered not adhering to the restrictions may be prosecuted as this council takes water conservation very seriously.

“We undertake a leak detection programme, water our own grounds and gardens responsibly, run watering patrols and undertake a public education campaign that provides information on water conservation and changing levels of water restrictions.

“We are also using bore water at Trentham to irrigate our sports fields which alleviates demand on the treated supply.”

Mayor Wayne Guppy says the council’s leak detection programme has proved very successful at keeping leakage low, particularly in the last three years. “We spend $89,000 annually on our leak detection programme which enables us to survey our network three times each year. Using the International Leakage Index (ILI) as a benchmark suggests that we are at an optimal level of leak detection.

“We’re committed to maintaining our leak detection programme along with all our other water conservation measures. If we all aim to conserve water, especially over the summer months, we would hope to minimise the risk of having to introduce further restrictions such as sprinkler bans.”

To minimise the city’s water costs you contribute to as a ratepayer, please report any leaks you notice to the council’s Technical Support Unit on 527 2170 as soon as possible.

ENDS

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