Water for Life

‘The Hills Shire Community - working together to use water wisely.’ 

 

A new Water For Life Program being run by The Hills Shire Council in conjunction with the NSW Department of Water and Energy, is encouraging Hills Shire residents and businesses to be more water wise at home and in the workplace. This program is also an opportunity for Council to inform the Hills Shire Community about it’s own water saving procedures and projects currently underway and also planned for the future.

A growing population and a changing climate are putting an ever increasing pressure on Sydney’s water supplies. This means we all, government, business and the residential sectors, have an important role to play in ensuring a sustainable water future for the Sydney region.

Reducing Council’s water consumption and improving water efficiency, has been a priority for Council’s for many years. The Hills Shire Council is playing their part by implementing a broad range of projects to reduce Council’s demand on water supplies and improve the local catchment health.

Council projects already undertaken and/or planned for the future include:

  • ‘Waves Pool’, Baulkham Hills – Reverse Osmosis backwash water treatment plant, Water Harvesting, Dual Flush Toilets, Tap Aerators, Water Efficiency Shower Heads,
  • The retrofit of Council Chambers single flush, 12 litre toilet systems, to a dual flush, 4.5/3 litre cistern. Saving up to 500 kilolitres of water per year.
  • Replacement of the Cooling Towers at Council Chambers to a closed system minimising evaporation.
  • Water harvesting, installation of collection tanks and sub-soil drainage in many of Council’s Parks & Reserves,
  • The connection of Council Parks & Reserves to a centralised irrigation control system, allowing staff to control, monitor and alter the irrigation regime manually in response to weather conditions, 
  • Landscaping programs in Parks & Reserves and Street Landscaping that include the use of drought tolerant native species, mulching, and increased turf mowing heights to reduce evaporation, 
  • Continual monitoring and reporting of Council’s Water Consumption Data. This is undertaken on an annual basis to analyse water use and identification of ways to improve water efficiency,
  • Regular asset inspections, including all levels of infrastructure, within Council Buildings and Parks & Reserves to monitor for any water leaks,
  • Investigation into opportunities to utilise alternate water sources to minimise Council’s reliance on Sydney Water potable water supplies.
  • All projects and water efficiency actions that have been implemented are reviewed on a regular basis to identify ways in which Council can reduce its water demand.

 

Water is a valuable and precious natural resource and the responsibility of all. By ensuring Council continues to implement and improve on existing water efficiency initiatives, we are taking our part in helping to ensure a sustainable water future for Sydney.

How can you do your bit? Well the great news is that even the smallest change in your home or business can have a major effect on reducing water wastage. It’s really easy to save water, and can be done by all of us.

To compliment Council’s own water saving programs, Hills Shire residents and businesses are encouraged to visit Sydney Water’s website www.sydneywater.com.au/SavingWater for practical water saving tips and advice, including offers and rebates to help you be more water wise at home and in the workplace.

Water For Life

Water Saving Tips for residents that you may not have heard of before!!

  • Ensure the plugs in your bath and basin don’t leak. Buy new plugs if the existing ones don’t completely seal the drain.
  • Before you shower, set an alarm on a clock or kitchen timer to sound after three or four minutes to alert you to ‘Finish Up’
  • Check the water level in the cistern of your toilet. Most toilets have a line, mark or raised section showing the ideal line. If the level is too high, adjust the float valve.
  • Pre-treating heavy stains on clothes before washing will reduce the chance that you’ll need to re-wash clothes.
  • It might be a hard thing to teach teenagers in the house, but try to get each person to use the same glass each time they have a drink over the course of the day. It will reduce the amount of glasses needed to be washed, and therefore the number of times the dishwasher or sink needs to be stacked. 
  • Ensure that everyone knows the location of the property’s shut-off tap, and how to turn it off. If a pipe bursts this can not only save litres of water, but save property damage as well.
  • Always think before sending excess or left-over water down the drain. Remember it can always be used for watering pot plants or the garden.
  • Each time you clean out your fish tank, use the old water to water the garden. It’s an excellent source of nitrogen and phosphorous; a great fertiliser.
  • Be especially vigilant about covering your pool on windy days. More wind means more evaporation. 
  • Use a rain gauge in your garden. Its not always obvious that rain has fallen overnight. Check the rain gauge before watering, as the garden may not need it.
  • A higher water bill than expected may be a sign that you have a leak. Regularly monitor your water bills and check for anomalies.