Saving water is high on the priorities of the Adelaide City Council. Not only has the Council introduced a program to significantly reduce the amount of water it uses on the City Park Lands, but it has also launched an innovative new incentive program to encourage Adelaide residents and ratepayers to install water saving devices.
The $100,000 six month water saving incentive trial was launched early in October 2003. It is believed to be the most generous Council funded scheme of its type in South Australia, and has been well received by consumers eager to participate.
The scheme offers incentives ranging from $300 for the installation and connection of a large rainwater tank to a toilet or washing machine to $10 for Triple-A rated shower heads. Council is even offering rebates for the purchase and installation of swimming pool covers and dual flush toilets, as well as offering a 50 per cent discount for the purchase of mulch from the Council nursery.
Councillor Anne Moran, who initiated Council’s investigation into offering incentives, says City residents and businesses can now join with Council in helping save water.
“Using rainwater and cutting consumption of mains water will assist householders and business in terms of self sufficiency, providing back up in case of water restrictions caused by drought, peak supply shortages or water quality problems,” Councillor Moran said. “These new incentives will also enable Adelaide residents and ratepayers to play an active and tangible role in reducing the City’s drain on the Murray River.”
The scheme complements the rebates offered by the State Government for the installation of water saving devices.
Meanwhile Council took a lead role in water conservation last November when it imposed its own water restrictions. As a major user of water, Council moved quickly to set an example for the community by banning all manual watering of the Park Lands except between 5am and 10.30am.
Council also identified areas of the Park Lands which could be ‘browned off’ without long term impacts to the vegetation. Forty-eight hectares of Park Lands had watering halved and a further 18 hectares were not watered at all. All licence and permit holders over areas of the Park Lands were also asked to urgently review their irrigation practices.
New conditions were imposed on them to restrict watering to between 11pm and 6am for automatic systems and between 9pm and 10.30am for manual systems. The majority of the Adelaide Park Lands are now watered by automatically controlled irrigation systems programmed to dispense specific quantities of water at particular times.
Since the program was launched the Council has saved more than 250 million litres of water or about 25 per cent of its total consumption. The installation of a centralised computer irrigation system will ultimately reduce Council’s total water use up to 35 per cent.
Council is developing a comprehensive and integrated Water Conservation and Use Policy. It will have linkages to Council’s Park Lands Strategic Plan, development plans, biodiversity and environmental management.
Council has also acted to save water use on small areas, such as median and nature strips, by installation of small single station controllers which limit the time and amount of water applied. Its objective is to ensure the City takes the lead in environmental best practice to manage our finite and diminishing water resources.
While Council is determined to reduce the demand on Adelaide’s water, it also relies on members of the public to lend a hand. Residents are encouraged to report faulty sprinklers or irrigation fixtures to horticultural staff 24 hours a day.
