Eurobodalla Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy

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Eurobodalla Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy
6.4.1 Urban Water Use and Discharge – Past and Present
Urban Water Use
The current average water consumption of Eurobodalla’s urban population is about
5 300 ML/a. The majority of this water is disinfected with chlorine and is delivered through
Council’s regional water supply scheme. The water needs of the residents at Nelligen,
South Durras and Congo are met privately by roof rainwater and backyard bore water.
During periods of drought and prolonged low rainfall periods, the individual residents buy
their water from the regional scheme. Water service issues relating to each town and
village are discussed in more detail in part C.
Historical water usage records available since the mid-1980s for the regional scheme
suggests that the extraction of fresh water from the three rivers, namely Buckenboura,
Moruya and Tuross Rivers, has steadily increased with population growth. Records show
that in the past four years, the average annual water consumption (5 300 ML/a) serviced
through the regional scheme fluctuated by as much as 11% over the same period. These
fluctuations are due in part to climate effects and tourist numbers. Figure 6-9 below shows
the proportion of water extracted from the three river sources.
Yearly River Intake (ML)
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Year
Figure 6-9 Proportion of Water Harvested from Each River
B/Boura
Tuross River
Moruya
Figure 6-9 shows that the majority of the urban water demand is supplied by Moruya River.
This correlates to the concentration of the shire’s population in the northern areas, and the
northerly location of the off-stream storage. With the regional scheme being reliant on the
Moruya River, urban water usage impacts on this river the most. The health of the river
environment is also particularly vulnerable during periods of low river flows, as in most
years low flow coincides with high urban water demand periods. Records show that the
current average daily water use by the regional scheme consumers is approximately
14.5 ML/d. This figure increases to 32 ML/d during the typical summer holiday period.
Figure 6-10 shows the current urban annual water consumption profile.