Parramatta City Council is examining ways to reduce water usage as the grip of the 2002 drought tightens. Group Manager City Services, Ken Bone, said that Council is looking at all operational means to reduce its water usage and wastage.
“We are determined to become even more efficient in the way we use precious water in and around public facilities,” he said. “Drought is affecting all of New South Wales. With predictions that there won’t be significant rain until March 2004 everybody must play their role in conserving water.”
Council has signed up with Sydney Water’s ‘Every Drop Counts Program’, an initiative to reduce the amount of water used every day. This program involves undertaking a water audit of all premises to determine how much water is used in Council buildings and operations, and to identify savings.
Parramatta City Council has 647 properties, including parks and open space, which use water. Council’s average annual consumption is 637 kilolitres per day. This is the equivalent of 230 Olympic sized pools per year.
Ken Bone said that Council is targeting a 10 per cent water use reduction by reviewing its use and re-use of water in areas such as playing fields and buildings. Council is also reviewing current projects that may require the use of water, such as new plantings and landscaping. Some projects have already been put off. These include the installation of irrigation on turf areas of Prince Alfred Park. Extra watering at some sports fields that have recently been re-turfed will continue until such time as the grass has established itself.
Many plantings that were scheduled for this spring and summer have been postponed until autumn 2003. In high profile areas, such as the Church Street Mall, decorative plants will be watered in the cooler hours to prevent evaporation.
Parramatta residents fared well in Sydney Water ranking of the 45 Local Government areas in the greater Sydney region. However, Council is encouraging residents to do more by checking and repairing leaking taps through the home, installing AAA rated shower heads and using more efficient garden watering, such as drippers.
