Continued water-saving by the Bright, Porepunkah and Wandiligong communities, combined with ongoing leak detection and more rainfall, will be key to avoiding water restrictions this summer, according to North East Water. The organisation has confirmed to the Alpine Observer/Myrtleford Times that in recent months it has located and repaired underground leaks which are saving more than 500,000 litres of water a day in the Bright area, but there is still more to do. NEW general manager of environment, systems and operations, John Day, said ground movement with the shift from wet to dry conditions had put pressure on underground infrastructure across the North East, but particularly in the Bright area. "We’ve seen a rise in our leak rate in the Bright area, and proactively addressing this we’re responding with both urgency and innovation,” he said. “We’ve already made significant reductions to water losses in recent months thanks to targeted leak detection and monitoring. "We believe we have been able to find and save over half a megalitre of water a day so far. "But we know there’s more to do, which is why we’re exploring new technologies to stay ahead of the problem.” Mr Day said the Bright off river storage - which supplies Bright, Porepunkah and Wandiligong with its domestic water supply - is now sitting at 88 per cent full compared to 84 per cent this time last year, and NEW is closely monitoring river extractions and usage as summer approaches. He said the organisation appreciated the community’s recent efforts to conserve water and it is asking that they continue to help by reporting leaks and keeping up those water-saving habits. "Together, we can help avoid restrictions this summer,” he said. According to NEW's latest weekly water usage statistics, Bright, Porepunkah and Wandiligong residents are using an average of 250 litres per person per day, which is up three per cent on the previous week's figure of 243 litres, and much higher than the daily average of 227.5 litres back in September. All three towns' water security is determined by the flows in the Ovens River and the off-river storage, with the communities collectively using 590 megalitres of water each year on average (11,346,152 litres weekly). Across the Alpine Shire, the latest NEW weekly water consumption figures show Harrietville residents using the least at 145 litres per person per day, followed by 189 litres in Mt Beauty/Tawonga/Tawong South, and 194 litres in Myrtleford. Permanent Water Saving Rules (PWSR) that are in place year-round across Victoria include: • Always use a trigger nozzle on your hose. • Only use watering systems between 6pm and 10am. • Never hose down concrete paths or driveways. Weekly water usage statistics are available at www.newater.com.au/usage, while people can find great tips to reduce water consumption at www.waterwise.tips.
