WaterSmart program launched to help save water

We were pleased to join Minister for Water Harriet Shing and representatives from Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management in Portarlington on Thursday 7 September for the launch of the State Government’s $5.27 million WaterSmart program.

The WaterSmart program will help businesses and organisations install data loggers to monitor water use data, enabling them to detect leaks and minimise the waste of potable water.

Barwon Water has received $271,000 in WaterSmart funding to help non-residential customers that often use significant amounts of water to monitor their water consumption and use the data to be more waterwise.

Water saving initiatives that help meet the region’s water needs, are good for the environment and are strongly supported by our customers, which is why we have several water saving programs to save water into the future, including through new technology.

Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management is at the forefront of showcasing the effectiveness of the technology: 23 data loggers have been installed on water meters on committee-managed sites in Portarlington, St Leonards and Indented Head in the past year.

About 50 potential leaks have been detected, with repairs and early notification leading to estimated water savings of up to four million litres across 12-months.

The WaterSmart program is delivering actions from the Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy. The actions aim to maximise water efficiency in business and community-based organisations, such as councils, sporting facilities and hospitals.

Barwon Water will invest a further $2.5 million over the coming five years to help residential and non-residential customers to save water.

For more information on the government’s WaterSmart program, visit: water.vic.gov.au/liveable/using-water-wisely/watersmart.

For ways Barwon Water can help you save water, visit: https://www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/water-and-waste/saving-water.