Sustainable Water Use
Water management in Victoria has become a critical issue and Moira Shire Council is committed to protecting our water quality and maximising water conservation. This is a summary of what's happening within the shire to protect our precious water resources.
Sustainable Water Use Plan
A Sustainable Water Use Plan is an important water management and conservation tool. It identifies where Council uses water, how much water is uses and actions for Council to reduce water consumption. The plan focuses on Council owned or managed water usage facilities, such as parks and gardens, municipal buildings, sporting fields and swimming pools.
Water Management in Moira - Council Operations
Q: How much water does Council use?
Each year, Moira Shire Council uses around 80-150 megalitres of potable mains water in its operations. Council's five highest potable water users, in order of highest to lowest consumption, are the open space/parks and gardens, swimming pools, the Yarrawonga standpipe, caravan parks and toilet facilities.
So that we can monitor our water consumption over time, we have decided to compare our future water consumption to the 2004/2005 financial year as a typical "baseline" year. Soon, Council will revise the Sustainable Water Use Plan in order to compare water consumption from the second half of the decade to that of the first.
Q: What is Council doing to save water and improve water quality?
Water management is a critical issue for the shire. The two biggest impacts that Moira Shire Council have on the urban water cycle are through:
- consumption of water for the irrigation of parks and reserves; and
- management of stormwater.
The sections below provide a summary of the water management activities being undertaken by Moira Shire Council.
Sustainable Irrigation
Council has developed a water-wise approach to irrigating its public reserves using a combination of tighter scheduling and improved infrastructure.
"Active" recreation reserves are now only watered according to their base irrigation requirements, determined through a water efficiency model that considers local climatic conditions and vegetation type.
Little or no watering of "passive" recreation reserves allows them to "brown off" over summer.
In addition to saving water, plants that are not suited to these new watering regimes are being replaced, where possible, with drought tolerant local indigenous species. These plants use less water and provide an added benefit to the restoration of the shire's natural biodiversity.
Other water saving irrigation activities include:
- converting irrigation systems from manual to automatic;
- irrigation audits;
- use of subsurface irrigation;
- use of water meters on bores;
- reducing the area of certain reserves being irrigated;
- ceasing irrigation entirely on a number of reserves;
- using deep mulches on garden beds and revegetated areas to reduce evaporation; and
- using new technologies and monitoring their performance.
Council is also committed to working under current water restrictions and reducing demand on local groundwater supplies. Follow this link to view information on water restrictions across Victoria and how they apply to residents.
Conserving Water in Council Buildings
Buildings owned and/or managed by the Moira Shire Council have been audited to identify actions that could be undertaken to reduce energy and water consumption.
Below is a summary of the activities undertaken:
- use of dual flush toilets and waterless urinals in all end-of-life replacements;
- water saving shower heads and water efficient tapware at the swimming facilities and sports clubs;
- use of water efficient kitchen appliances in end-of-life replacements;
- flow restrictors and aerators on replacement taps in bathrooms and kitchens;
- pool blanket at Numurkah indoor swimming pool and Yarrawonga outdoor swimming pool; and
- water tanks and toilet systems that use harvested water.
Moira Shire Council is continually looking to reduce energy and water consumption and is working on new initiatives that include:
- pool blankets for all outdoor swimming facilities; and
- water efficient filtration systems for the Numurkah indoor swimming pool.
Additional measures will continue to be made during building upgrades and asset replacements.
Policy and Planning
To help guide Council's on-ground activities and ensure it is working towards achieving the community vision, the following strategies have been set in the Council Plan.
Strategic Goal 2: Our Environment and Lifestyle.
Outcome: A quality environment for future generations.
Strategies: Continue to negotiate with government and authorities in relation to delivery of sustainable provision of water for our communities;
- maximise water conservation through the community and in Council's operations.
Save Water in Your Home
Q: I'd like to save water but it would be easier if things didn't cost so much - is there any help on offer?
Saving water in your home has never been easier, or more important.
Fortunately, there is currently a lot of support available from the State and Federal governments to guide you in the right direction.
Victorian Water Rebates
Through the "Our Water, Our Future" program, the Victorian Government is currently running an excellent rebate scheme to assist with the purchase of a range of indoor and outdoor appliance, supplies and services. Items covered in the scheme include:
- home water audits;
- water efficient shower heads;
- dual-flush toilets;
- water efficient washing machines;
- purchasing and plumbing rainwater tanks;
- organic mulch or compost;
- soil wetting agents;
- tap timers;
- compost bins;
- soil moisture sensors or rain sensors;
- irrigation system controllers;
- drip watering system components; and
- smart approved WaterMark products designed to concentrate water at the root base for plants and trees.
Federal Government Rebates
The Federal Government has developed a "National Rainwater and Greywater Initiative" as part of national water plan titled "Water for the Future".
Through the National Rainwater and Greywater Initiative, the Australian Government is providing rebates of up to $500 for households to install rainwater tanks or greywater systems.
These rebates will be available in addition to State Government rebates. Visit the Federal Government website for more information on this program.
Water Audits
Conducting an audit of water use in your home is an excellent way of working out the most cost effective ways of reducing your water consumption.
Home audits should be conducted by a qualified professional who is insured for providing advice to the homeowner/occupier. More information on home water use audits is available here.
Top 10 Tips
The Australian Government has produced a Guide to Australia's Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme. You can save water in your home by following these simple rules:
- buy dishwashers, washing machines and plumbing products that have a high star rating under the Australian Government's Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS) - a five star WELS rated shower head can save an average household more than $100 each year on water and energy bills and cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to one tonne per year;
- take shorter showers and install a water efficient shower head - a shower uses 10-20 litres of water every minute;
- install a dual flush toilet that can save you 50 per cent of water on each flush;
- consider using grey water from the laundry on the garden;
- use mulch to prevent water loss;
- consider investing in a front loading washing machine - it may cost more initially but will use less water and detergent. Wash with cold water;
- install a dripper system and a tap timer and check hoses and taps for leaks;
- choose a drought-resistant lawn or look into alternatives like paving or artificial turf;
- install aerators on your taps; and
- consider installing a rain water tank.
Further Information on Sustainable Water Use