When the triple whammy of bushfires, floods and COVID-19 health measures, forced Central Coast Council, New South Wales, to halt the popular community tours of its water supply infrastructure, Council turned to a digital format to continue its education program.
The interactive virtual tour of one of the region’s dams and water treatment plants was launched to coincide with World Water Day on Sunday, 22 March.
From the comfort of their own homes, residents can now use a computer or device to scroll and click their way around each step in the water treatment process on the virtual tour of the Mardi Dam and Water Treatment Plant.
Short information notes or videos on each of the tour’s behind-the-scenes 360 degree images allow visitors to learn how impurities are removed and the water treated to meet and exceed Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
Council’s Director Water and Sewer, Jamie Loader said the interactive tour was an exciting innovation which would help community members learn what happens to water before it reaches their taps.
“Each day, we deliver around 100 million litres of treated drinking water to our community.
“Part of our water conservation strategy is educating residents and students about where their water comes from.
“In the past few months, we’ve had multiple environmental challenges that prevented us from delivering this educational program in our usual way, so we found a new way to do it.”
Take the tour at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/MardiVirtualTour.
