Residents given praise for water cut

By Tania Martin
MONBULK and The Patch residents have been commended for turning around their status as water wallies to water savers.
In the past 12 months, Monbulk has recorded a 14.6 per cent drop in average household water usage while The Patch has seen a 13.9 per cent drop.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges chief executive officer Rob Hauser said the council was delighted with the results.
Mr Hauser said the reduction showed the efforts that the Monbulk community and the shire have put into water saving consumption in the past 12 months.
He said the council has implemented a range of water saving initiatives including a target to reduce sports and recreational reserve consumption by 10 per cent.
Mr Hauser said the council was also working with 97 schools within the municipality to educate students on the importance of environmental sensitivity, which includes looking at the reduction of water consumption.
He said one of the examples of innovative water savings in the Shire was the Olinda toilet block whose waste water is treated and then used to irrigate the town’s golf course.
Yarra Valley Water managing director Tony Kelly last week congratulated Monbulk and The Patch residents for their diligence in saving water particularly during the cooler months of the year.
“It’s great to see that our customers have taken saving water seriously and are making a real effort to save water,” Mr Kelly said.
But Mr Kelly said as summer draws closer residents need to be mindful about water use, especially in the garden.
He said the permanent water saving rules introduced in March this year were now in place and that customers need to be aware that the rules are here for good.
Mr Kelly said the rules include common sense thinking such as watering during the cooler times of the day and installing trigger nozzles on hoses.
Mr Hauser said most people expect the Shire to play a leadership role in the reduction of water and he encouraged residents to continue their good work.