The Minns government has announced it is injecting $35.3 million into an arsenal of water efficiency programs across NSW, potentially saving billions of litres and arming regional and metro towns with the tools they need for a sustainable water future.
The government says this funding injection will kickstart water efficiency initiatives that aim to save 5 billion litres of water in regional NSW over the next two years, improving long term water security and contributing towards the Greater Sydney Water Strategy’s water-saving target of 38 billion litres by 2030.
The investment includes funding for the successful Regional Leakage Reduction Program, which has found more than 3,000 leaks across 60 Local Water Utilities since 2022. The program has saved a whopping 7,500 megalitres of water each year, or enough to meet the annual water needs of around 37,500 NSW households.
A range of new projects will focus on residential, government, commercial and industrial water savings as well as network leakage, research and innovation, education and capacity building.
The funding will deliver
- A boost to the Regional Leakage Reduction Program – aiming to save an additional 4,500 megalitres of water per year over the next two years.
- Another round of the Washing Machine Replacement Program – helping thousands more low-income households upgrade to a more efficient washing machine, saving water and easing cost-of-living pressures.
- Continuing the School Water Efficiency Program – launching an online portal to help K-12 students understand the importance of being water-wise and track their school’s water use and identify leaks.
- Expanding the Regional Water Loss Management Hub pilot to other regional areas, leveraging local expertise to save another 500 megalitres of water per year.
- A new industry drought preparedness program, helping businesses conduct water audits, access water savings resources and train and upskill workers in the sector.
- Further water efficiency research into home water consumption using metering and AI technology, helping local water utilities boost water efficiency and streamline their services.
- Continued work to deliver the water savings targets in the Greater Sydney Water Strategy and the Lower Hunter Water Security Plan, which aim to save over 40 billion litres per year.
- Finding ways to better integrate water efficiency policy and strategy into planning and development.
More details on these programs will become available as projects start to roll out over the next two to five years.
Saving billions of litres
Minister for Water Rose Jackson said, ‘This major investment will help NSW level up on water efficiency, saving billions of litres of water and ensuring our cities, country towns and communities are ready to face any future challenges, including a drying climate.
‘As NSW grows and thrives, we face increasing demands on our resources, so we are sending the message that it’s more important than ever to be water wise.
‘While water storages are currently healthy, we know the next drought could be around the corner, so it’s vital that we accelerate action now.
‘This National Water Week, we’re reminding everyone that using less water saves money while also helping us adapt to climate change and boosting our drought resilience.
‘That’s why we’re charging forward with this critical work, pulling on every lever at our disposal to reduce water use and become smarter with the water we do have – in homes, schools, businesses and through services provided by local water utilities.’
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