Water Saving Grants now available for businesses, farmers

Barwon Water’s quest to help more customers be water efficient and boost regional prosperity is extending to local businesses, including farmers, with water saving grants now available.

Barwon Water Managing Director Tracey Slatter said applications were open for Business Water Grants of up to $25,000 for eligible projects.

“The grants are available to business customers from all industry sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, hospitality and health for projects that improve water efficiency or achieve permanent water savings.”

Ms Slatter said Barwon Water, like other water corporations around the state, faced the challenge of finding more water to cater for a growing population while climate-dependant sources of water were becoming less reliable in a hotter drier climate.

“Improved water efficiency has an important role to play in meeting this challenge, which is why we are looking to partner strategically with local businesses, as we already do with many residential customers, to improve water efficiency and preserve our precious resource.”

Ms Slatter said the grants were an investment in water efficiency projects that would ultimately save businesses money and help Barwon Water and its customers to achieve permanent water savings and reduce waste.

Ms Slatter said that to be eligible, businesses’ projects must demonstrate a capacity to achieve permanent savings in mains supplied drinking water through alternative water sources like rainwater tanks or dams; wastewater recycling; and/or water efficiency measures including maintenance, equipment upgrades, installation of water efficient fittings or improved practices.

Ms Slatter said applicants must contribute a minimum 50% of the total project cost and save a minimum two megalitres of water per year, and projects would also need to include a monitoring tool to track consumption.

The deadline for the first round of grant applications closes at 5 pm, Tuesday 1 June 2021.

More information about the grant application process, visit our Business Water Grants web page.