Eurobodalla Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy

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Eurobodalla Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy
While Council has implemented many educational programs aimed at schools and the
general community, it is recommended that Council develop programs that specifically
target other groups.
Builders and plumbers are one such group that will provide extra benefits to the
overall results of a water savings program. Specifically targeting builders and
plumbers as part of a water conservation education program will yield benefits
because of their technical knowledge and the personal contact that they have with
home owners. They are also independent of Council’s operations and provide
another avenue to spread the water conservation message.
Architects, landscape gardeners, nursery owners and property developers can also
play an important part in conveying the message of water conservation to new and
existing home owners if they are targeted appropriately. Hunter Water, in
conjunction with the Master Builders Association, has implemented the EcoBuild
advisory service for both building professionals and residential customers, which
provides information regarding water conservation technologies to incorporate into
new or existing dwellings.
Council staff can also be targeted for special education sessions that cover watersaving
practices both at work and in the home. This will have the benefit of directly
reducing Council’s water use but will also provide a positive example to friends and
neighbours of staff members. Tourists and holiday-makers represent another group
that Council should consider targeting with a specific education campaign. The
influx of tourists, predominantly during the hottest months of the year when peak
demand is at its greatest, represents a significant contributor to excessive water
usage.
Labelling of Water-Efficient Appliances
The Standards Australia Water Conservation Rating and Labelling Scheme is a national
initiative that is designed to provide an easy to understand rating system for the efficiency of
domestic water-using fixtures. The scheme provides each appliance with a rating of either
‘A’, ‘AA’ or ‘AAA’ in a scale of increased water efficiency. This allows customers to make
more informed decisions when purchasing water-using appliances.
As public awareness regarding water conservation issues improves and new technologies
become available, it is assumed that customers will be more prepared to alter their water
usage practices so that overall consumption is reduced.
Garden Watering and Other Outdoor Water Uses
Improved garden watering practices has the potential to produce significant water savings.
Areas of garden watering that are available to ESC to target include higher efficiency
watering systems, appropriate watering times, and planting drought-resistant species and
appropriately landscaped gardens.
Studies have shown that households that use fixed watering systems consume up to 35%
more water than the average household does. A study into outdoor water use in Canberra
conducted by the CSIRO estimated that watering the garden only twice a week would result
in a 25% saving in outdoor water consumption. Also, using a tap timer would provide a 20%
saving and installing a drip system would yield a 10% saving in outdoor water usage. New
technologies are available on the market that are less water intensive than existing
methods of watering such as sensor-controlled systems that only water the roots of plants
once the soil moisture reaches a set value.
Watering gardens in the early morning and evening will reduce evaporation as well as
keeping grass at a reasonable length rather than very short. Using hand-held sprinklers for
garden watering uses less water than automatic and fixed sprinkler systems and has the