Water supplies secure but Melburnians encouraged to make every drop count to Target 155
Melbourne’s annual water outlook report has confirmed water storages are secure for the next 12 months, however Melburnians are being encouraged to make every drop count to reach the target of 155 litres per person per day.
Melbourne’s Water Outlook 2020 report shows Melbourne’s water storage level is 63.9 per cent thanks to Victorian Government water saving policies such as the Victorian Desalination Plant, forward-planning by our water organisations and the continued efforts of Melburnians.
Yet the report also identified real and growing challenges to our water supply that reminds Melburnians of the need to continue using water wisely every day to protect our water supply for years to come.
“Factors such as an increasing population and a warming, drying climate have contributed to Melbourne’s storages decreasing by an annual average of 61 billion litres over the last five years.” City West Water Acting Managing Director, Maree Lang said, speaking on behalf of Melbourne’s water organisations.
“As a community we do need to be more efficient with our water use. Melburnians are great at using water wisely, but more can be done to reduce the demand on our water supplies.”
The report found Melburnians each use on average 162 litres of water per day – seven litres higher than the target of 155 litres of water per person, per day.
Residential water use made up 65 per cent of Melbourne’s water use, with showering making up 31 per cent of the water we use at home.
As we head into summer and as part of the Victorian Government’s campaign Target 155, the state’s four metropolitan water organisations have launched the “Make Every Drop Count” campaign to encourage Melburnians to save water by implementing simple water saving measures at home.
“From brushing your teeth with the tap off, to shaving one minute off your shower time and sorting out water leaks, we all have a role to play,” Ms Lang said.
“If we each save a little bit of water, we all save a lot. In fact, we each only need to save seven litres of water a day, or less than a bucket load, to support our city’s water security.”
The campaign is in addition to Permanent Water Saving Rules, which have remained in place across Melbourne since the Millennium Drought.
Melbourne’s Water Outlook 2020 report is a collaboration between City West Water, Melbourne Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water.
The organisations come together to assess and predict impacts to the city’s water storages for the coming year and continue to keep our water supplies secure.
To view the report, please visit https://www.yvw.com.au/about-us/reports/water-outlook-melbourne
For water saving tips, search Target 155 or visit www.makeeverydropcount.com.au