11 November 2009
The arrival of warmer weather has prompted City West Water to remind customers to continue to save water in the home and garden and abide by Stage 3a water restrictions that remain in place.
City West Water Managing Director Anne Barker said that while rain in September and October had helped reduce water consumption and lift our water storages levels, it was not time to become complacent about saving water.
“We’ve had a great spring in terms of rainfall which has helped keep water use down, but with the onset of warmer weather, it’s important that we all use water sparingly, especially in the garden,” Ms Barker said.
“In warmer weather it can be tempting to give some extra water to plants and trees, but the reality is that plants have a better chance of surviving a heatwave with a combination of regular watering, soil wetting agents and a 7-8cm layer of mulch to lock moisture into the root zone.
“If the current burst of warm weather is any indication, we’re set for a long hot summer ahead, so now’s the time to make sure that gardens are ready for the heat that we can expect over the coming months.”
“A garden hose can use 900 litres in an hour, which is more than most households use in a day – so on top of sensible watering, watch weather forecasts and where possible let nature water the garden for you.”
Ms Barker said that an easy way for households to keep their water use under control is to aim for Target 155 – keeping water use to 155 litres of water per person per day,
“We offer a free showerhead exchange and a discounted toilet replacement programs currently available to help households achieve Target 155.
“Target 155 is a great way for householders to keep their water use to a minimum, and while the community has kept below that level for most of the year, previous days of warm weather usually correlate to a jump in water use.
“Almost one year since Target 155 began, average per person water use is currently 151 litres per day, down from 164 the year before, which is a remarkable achievement.
“When you add up all those water savings across the metropolitan area, it adds up to a staggering 18 billion litres of water saved, or enough water to supply all of Melbourne for nearly two and a half weeks.”
Ms Barker said that while recent rainfall had helped push storages to their highest level since mid 2008, storages are still below 40 percent of capacity and reminded households that Stage 3a restrictions remain place.
“Even with the recent rain, storage levels are still at the point where Stage 3a restrictions remain in place, so it’s important that people use water within restrictions to avoid possible fines of more than $450.”
Under Stage 3a water restrictions:
• Lawns must not be watered at any time
• Even and no-numbered properties can water plants on Saturday and Tuesday 6am - 8am
• Odd-numbered properties can water plants on Sunday and Wednesday 6am - 8am
• Residents aged 70+ can water plants on their designated days between 6am – 8am or at an alternate time of 8am – 10am
• Automatic dripper systems can be used to water plants on specified watering days between midnight – 2am
• Rainwater and grey water can be used at any time
• Cars can be washed at commercial car washes or at home using rain water
• No watering is permitted on Monday, Thursday and Friday