Some 6.4 million litres of water per year will be saved in the New South Wales rural town of Wallabadah as a result of the $22 million Water Loss Management Program (WLMP).
Wallabadah is a small town with a population of 200 people, in Liverpool Plains Shire. It is the first recipient of financial assistance under WLMP, which aims to reduce leakage in water systems by investigating the causes and then implementing water saving projects.
Run by the Local Government and Shires Associations of New South Wales (LGSA) and the Water Directorate, this program provides Council utilities with advice and financial assistance to identify and measure leakage and develop projects to cost effectively reduce leakage and save water.
President of the Local Government Association, Councillor Genia McCaffery, said when Liverpool Plains Shire Council requested assistance and priority from WLMP, Wallabadah was on Level 7 water restrictions. The town had run out of water and was trucking water to the town reservoir from nearby Quirindi.
“Leaks were located using specialised acoustic equipment and then repaired,” she said. “As a result leakage has been reduced by some 6,370,000 litres per year – the equivalent of 2.5 Olympic size swimming pools.”
Shires Associations President, Councillor Bruce Miller, said for a small town like Wallabadah this saving is significant.
“It represents 27 per cent of water use at Level 7 restrictions and means a 60 per cent reduction in leakage from the system,” he said. “There will also be flowon benefits from the reduction in water carting costs, the use of fuel and CO2 emissions.
“The work done at Wallabadah shows what savings can be achieved through the use of modern equipment and methods.”
WLMP is a four year, $22 million project. It is funded by the Australian Government through the Water Smart Australia program, the Water Directorate and LGSA.
Local Water Utilities involved in the program to date are Cootamundra, Queanbeyan, Kempsey, Bega, Richmond Valley, Griffith, Wellington, Liverpool Plains, Gosford, Shoalhaven and Tweed.
Liverpool Plains Shire Council is now aiming to use the program for works in other towns in the Shire, which will mean significant water savings for Council.
For further information contact Councillor Robert Bell, Chair LGSA Water Committee, on 0418 432 754.
