Like many things around us, we seldom appreciate what is plentiful and easy to obtain. What could be more plentiful in the Burdekin than water?
But think again, the water we use in our homes does not just magically appear. Considerable public money has been invested in providing the pumps and water mains to service the properties and continued high usage and increased demands will accelerate the need to upgrade the system and for the establishment of alternative raw water supplies.
Alternative raw water supplies will be restricted to the Burdekin or Haughton Rivers and will require expenditure in excess of $6,000,000 to provide expensive water treatment plans to ensure water quality meets acceptable standards for human consumption.
When you consider that only about 1% of the total water used by each property is for direct human consumption it is essential water conservation programmes be established for the water that is used for showers, washing and in particular your garden.
The allocation of water to each property, the annual entitlement, is generous compared to many other comparable municipalities across Queensland but property owners still need to control water consumption so that they do not exceed their entitlements.
You pay for every drop of water used, whether it is used wisely or wasted, so water conservation is something we should all practice.
To assist you in understanding where your water goes, the following estimates give a guide to typical water use patterns for various activities around the home:
| Shower | up to 250 litres for an average 8 minute shower |
|---|---|
| Bath | 120 litres |
| Toilet | 13 litres full flush |
| Dishwashing | by hand 18 litres per wash |
| machine up to 90 litres per wash | |
| Clothes Washing | large automatic up to 250 litres per wash |
| Car Washing | 100 to 300 litres |
| Garden Sprinkler | varies - 1000 litres per hour not unusual |
| Dripping Tap | 30 to 500 litres per day |
| Leaking Pipe | 300 litres per day |
Look at your water use habits developed over a lifetime. Two-thirds of water usage on typical Burdekin properties is on lawns and gardens. Also a lot of water goes down the drain because we have always thought of water being plentiful and cheap. Typically about 75% of water usage inside your house occurs in the bathroom and laundry, very little is used for human consumption.
Be aware of the amount of water used and look for ways to use less whenever you can. Measure usage through your sprinklers, know what every hour of watering uses. Be selective when next buying a clothes washing machine or dishwasher, give preference to those which use less water.
Check that you do not have leaking taps or pipes. Turn off all taps and check whether the flow indicator on the meter is moving or the red numbers are turning. These can only move if water is flowing eg. through a dripping tap. Replace faulty tap washers and pipes where necessary. A leaking tap or pipe could result in your usage exceeding the annual entitlement and an excess water charge being applied.
A leak of just one drop per second wastes in excess of 10,000 litres of water a year. Leaks are among the greatest enemies of a water conservation programme and cannot be taken lightly.
Do not be surprised if the top meter capsule rotates a little - it is designed to be able to rotate to allow the meter register to be easily read.
There are many devices you can buy and have installed by your plumber to reduce your water use. These include faucet aerators, flow regulators for shower heads, and toilet dual flush systems (if not already installed).
The use of tap timers or automatic watering systems can have a significant impact on the efficient use of water to the lawn and garden areas.
Water is a precious and limited resource. By practicing the following water conservation tips you could save money for Council and yourself.
All properties are provided with a Water Meter. Council reads all meters in both June/July and November/December.
The register on the meter can have seven or eight numbers on white wheels. Four (4) of the numbers are black and three (3) or four (4) are red.
The black numbers within the brackets are read in kilolitres. Only the black numbers are used by Council for measuring of annual consumption. The red numbers read hundreds and below down to the tenths of a litre. The red number on the last wheel in the illustration indicates 1/2 of a litre. The red markings are only used by Council for testing purposes.
The meters automatically reset to zero when they reach 10,000 kilolitres.
Installation of underground garden lawn sprinkler systems of the town water supply must have backflow prevention devices installed. Any person who has already or proposes to install a watering system should contact the Council Plumbing Section to discuss the procedures for installation of backflow prevention equipment.
This is necessary to ensure public health standards are met and potential risks of contamination of the town water supply are eliminated.
Remember: It is an offence to interfere with your meter or service or to otherwise take water illegally.