Porirua City Water Savings No "Drop in the Bucket"

Porirua city has this year saved 200 million litres of water from the city's annual consumption, according to figures recently released by Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Of the four cities in the Wellington region which draw water from the Greater Wellington Regional Water Supply Network, Porirua is the only one whose water consumption is dropping.

Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett says, "The region's water consumption is increasing and the regional water supply infrastructure is at risk of becoming inadequate. There is talk that the region's ratepayers may have to fund construction of larger dam at a cost of around $100 million.

"Porirua City Council has taken the position that it makes better sense to actively try and reduce water consumption rather than build a bigger dam, so the Council invested $84,000 over the last year in a strategy that works with the community to reduce demand.

"It's this investment, combined with our ongoing programme of water pipeline renewals, that is really starting to pay dividends," Mayor Leggett says.

And there's another benefit to these savings, adds Mayor Leggett, "Shaving 200 million litres from our water use, reduces our annual water supply bill from Greater Wellington Regional Council by $100,000."

The Council's Water Demand Strategy combines actions from the Council and a better educated community to reduce water waste and adopt smarter ways to manage consumption:

• House-to-house water audits, where a Council representative fixes drips and leaks from outdoor plumbing and offers face to face or online advice on how to repair leaking taps and toilet cisterns indoors

• Regular monitoring of volumes drawn from city reservoirs to see where sudden increases occur, indicating major leaks or sites where significant amounts of water are being wasted

• Water pressure reduction in the CBD

• A water supply pipeline leak detection and repair programme

• Watering restrictions during peak periods

• Installing water conservation devices such as dual flush toilets

• Metering households with excessive water use.

A school water education kit developed by Porirua City Council is about to be released via the PCC website which aims to further reinforce water conservation messages among families in the city.

The Six Million Litre Man

Council representative Austin Roberts has, over the last year, visited about one quarter of the city's homes. He conducts an audit of the household's external plumbing, measures the quantity of any leaks he finds then fixes them. This work alone has saved an estimated 6 million litres of water over the past year, earning him the label "the six million litre man".

As well as fixing the leaks on the outside, Austin frequently spots wasted water from indoor plumbing by observing and measuring leaks on pipes coming from inside the house. His advice to those householders and the distribution of free tap washers to effect simple repairs has potentially saved another 6 million litres.

The most popular Council video on the Council's website is one featuring Austin, as he demonstrates how to repair a leaking toilet cistern: http://www.pcc.govt.nz/A-Z-Services/Water-Use-and-Wastage

ENDS

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