2 December 2009
With the first taste of summer now behind us and warmer temperatures set to rise over the coming months, City West Water is reminding customers that recent rain is no excuse for excessive water use.
City West Water Managing Director, Anne Barker, said that despite a relatively wet spring in Melbourne, water storages remain low, and achieving Target 155 was more important than ever.
“We had a good filling season over the spring months which is great news, but even with the inflows into the dams, our water storages are still hovering around 38%,” Ms Barker said.
“The real test for our water storages will be over the summer months when we often experience weeks without rain and temperatures soar, so it’s imperative that everyone prepares for the hot summer ahead.”
“The first year of Target 155 has been a great success, with an average personal usage figure of 153 litres per day, which has helped save 16 billion litres of water.”
Ms Barker said that while the 153 personal usage figure demonstrates the community’s willingness to embrace water saving, recent heatwave conditions correlated to a leap in water consumption.
“Spring was a mixed bag weatherwise, with cool weather and light rain in early September, downpours from Grand Final day through October, which then gave way to a record hot November.
“During the November heatwave, water consumption skyrocketed to levels normally associated with higher summer temperatures, so we’re asking everyone to use water wisely when the mercury rises.
Ms Barker said that the majority of increased water use during the warm weather can be attributed to garden watering, with overwatering resulting in unnecessary wastage.
“I understand the desire to give plants that extra bit of water to help them cope with heat, but gardeners are better off applying an 8-10 centimetre layer of mulch and soil wetting agents to keep moisture in the soil. Good mulching can reduce evaporation by 70%.
“We’re encouraging gardeners to get their gardens used to living with less: don’t over water, water less often, but water deeply to ensure your plants are better able to withstand drought and heat stress.
“Most people don’t realise how much water is used by the garden hose - watering your garden for 10 minutes with a hose, even with a trigger nozzle, uses at least 150 litres.
“And gardeners shouldn’t forget about grey water from washing machines that can provide much of the garden’s water needs, or even better, watch weather forecasts and where possible let nature water the garden for you.”
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