Water Conservation Grants Program helps community groups save water and money

Yarra Valley Water’s Community Water Conservation Grants Program has helped community centres, not-for-profit organisations and churches in Melbourne save thousands of litres of precious water.

The program aims to help organisations that are a key resource during the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation to fund plumbing improvements, saving them money that can be channelled into supporting community members.

Yarra Valley Water partnered with New Plumbing Solutions to deliver the works. Overall, $160,000 of improvements have been completed, with 27 organisations able to complete works ranging from installing rainwater tanks to fixing leaking cisterns.

Yarra Valley Water Managing Director, Pat McCafferty said that the program allowed Yarra Valley Water to give back to organisations that are helping customers in Melbourne’s eastern and northern suburbs.

“These organisations are really valuable resources for people in the community, and their services are needed now more than ever.

“This money makes it possible for these organisations to save water and money, often through very simple upgrades that make a big difference,” Mr McCafferty said.

The Monkami Centre in Croydon is a disability service used by 130 adults with special needs. The Community Water Conservation Grants Program allowed them to repair the hot water service, upgrade the tapware and install dual flush toilets in the male and female toilets.

The Mooroolbark Uniting Church is usually frequented by over 150 people each week including a large Burmese community, many who have newly arrived in Australia.

Through the grants program, the church upgraded leaking cisterns in the toilets and completed other maintenance work.

For more information on Yarra Valley Water’s Inclusion Strategy visit yvw.com.au