VIC Minister for Water Peter Walsh has announced the launch of Right Water, a new campaign to encourage Victorian households to make greater use of rainwater.
Right Water is a new household-focused initiative to help Victorian families make greater use of alternative water sources around their home and garden, helping to reduce the use of drinking water supplies for non-drinking purposes, Mr Walsh said.
Right Water will encourage Victorians to continue using drinking water wisely, while also showing how easy it can be capture rainwater from the roof to keep your garden green and healthy.
Analysis by the Office of Living Victoria shows a significant amount of rain falls on Melbourne roofs.
For example, in 2013 a typical single-storey, three bedroom house in:
- Laverton had approximately 92,000 litres of rain fall on its roof – the equivalent drinking water would have cost a minimum of $195.11 over that time;
- Essendon had approximately 113,000 litres of rainwater fall on its roof – the equivalent drinking water would have cost a minimum of $234.50 over that time; and
- Cranbourne had approximately 172,000 litres of water fall on its roof – the equivalent drinking water would have cost a minimum of $385.40 over that time.
We all know to use drinking water wisely and Permanent Water Use Rules, which were introduced by the Victorian Coalition Government in 2011 and apply every day of the year, reinforce good habits formed during the drought – but the lessons should not stop there, Mr Walsh said.
Mr Walsh said the Victorian Government’s Melbourne’s Water Future policy, launched in December, has signalled a new era in water cycle planning and management in Victoria.
Every year, even in a drought year, more rain falls on Melbourne than households use from the city’s drinking water dams, Mr Walsh said.
Melbourne’s Water Future highlights how making greater use of alternate water sources for nondrinking purposes can help our urban centres enjoy healthy parks, gardens and green spaces even in dry seasons, without the need for more large-scale and costly infrastructure like desalination plants.
Melbourne’s Water Future spells out how we can save $6-7 billion by changing the way we plan for and use all water sources available to the city.
Right Water will show how the same principles can apply at homes, where downpipe diverters connected to drip irrigation hoses or rainwater tanks, for example, can help households secure a useful alternative water supply for their garden.
Right Water will highlight practical initiatives and will show how Victorians can be smarter with their water use around their homes and gardens.
