It’s not often that you get told that you need to be more of a miser – but that is exactly what you need to be when it comes to water say Rous County Council. Rous are the ones who are responsible for making sure there is water coming out of your taps and flushing your toilets, so even though it seems like we could currently do with a little less water with all the recent rain – summer is coming!
‘In a region with a growing population and changing climate, saving water in the Northern Rivers is as important as ever,’ said Chair of Rous County Council, Keith Williams.
National Water Week runs from 21–27 October and Rous County Council is calling on the community to save water.
The theme for National Water Week this year ‘Water for me, Water for all’, offers a timely reminder to local water users that although clean water is readily accessible from our taps and showers, it is not an infinite resource.
‘Unless we change our day-to-day habits of water use, by 2024 it is estimated that our demand for water will exceed our supply in this region. Weather is becoming more variable with droughts potentially more common. With a growing population, it means we all need to act responsibly now to keep the Northern Rivers thriving in the future,’ said Mr Williams.
The three top tips to start saving water
What can you do?
- Trigger up – Fit all hand-held hoses with a trigger nozzle, so you can turn off water instantly.
- Dusk or dawn – Water the garden after 3pm or before 10am. This maximises moisture intake and reduces water loss through evaporation;
- Tank it – Install a new rainwater tank and start saving with a rebate and smaller water bills.
Other winning ways to wise up
- Keep your eye out for the ‘160 Litre Challenge’ in the upcoming months and reduce your personal use of water to 160 litres per person per day.
- Free community tour of Lennox Head Wastewater Treatment Plant – 20 October. Contact [email protected] as spaces are limited.
- Water cooler display at Ballina Shire Council – a creative visual of how much water households use each day.
- Take the quiz and win – Ballina Shire Council Water Week Competition – Get your family to do a quick water usage quiz and be in the running to win some great prizes. Closes 2 November.
- International water science competition for high school students. The winner receives travel and accommodation to Ozwater’ 19 in Melbourne and a trip to Stockholm to compete in the international Stockholm Junior Water Prize!
- Short film competition – Australian Water Association
- Colouring in competition – Australian Water Association
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