Located just outside of Melbourne, Western Water provides water, sewerage and recycled water services to more than 53,000 properties.

Since 2002, Western Water has been involved in the development of the Eynesbury Township, the first new town development in more than 100 years. Located in an area of low rainfall, high evaporation and deep saline ground water, the township required significant foresight and planning to ensure it achieved a six-star environmentally sustainable rating.

With Western Water among the industry leaders in the reuse of recycled water, they invested in the upgrade of one of their recycled water plants, allowing them to supply Class A recycled water to all homes in Eynesbury. A dual-pipe recycled water scheme was created, with the Class A recycled water supplied through a “purple pipe” for non-potable domestic use in toilet flushing, garden watering, car washing, and even fire fighting. As a result, almost 60 per cent of water used by Eynesbury households is recycled water.

The Class A water is also being used for irrigation of public parks and sporting facilities. To date, Western Water has saved over 1,500 ML of potable water by supplying recycled water for the construction and development of the Eynesbury Township.

Western Water is committed to working towards a sustainable future and is set to expand the Eynesbury development to more than 2,900 homes, with plans to connect about 20,000 lots to dual water supplies by 2030.

“Eynesbury provides the blueprint for an exciting and innovative future for Melbourne’s urban planners and developers,” said John Wilkinson, Managing Director of Western Water.

“This purpose-built township now showcases the future for suburban Melbourne, a future where every drop of water is used wisely and recycling and reuse underpin the environmental footprint of the urban form,” he said.

Servicing 38,000 customers, MidCoast Water is responsible for reticulated water supply and sewerage systems in the Greater Taree & Great Lakes areas of New South Wales. They pride themselves on providing sustainable water services for the community with a focus on ensuring sustainable management of existing supplies.

In line with this philosophy, MidCoast Water developed and implemented a Water Smart Rebate Program which encourages their residential customers to save water. The initiative has been designed to provide customers with a choice about what water saving products to install in their homes through a ‘cash back’ system. The successful program has seen the council save approximately 67 ML of water annually.

Additionally, 120 smart water meters have been distributed and installed at volunteer homes to monitor water usage, with data being used by MidCoast Water to further educate the rest of their residential customers.

“It is important to MidCoast Water that we work with our community to reduce water use, and being able to offer an incentive through our rebate program has proven to be a great partnership,” said Neil Hanington, General Manager.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, located in Northern New South Wales supplies water to more than 65,000 residents. In 2009, the council introduced an interactive WaterWise study program for secondary school students, designed to raise awareness about water conservation and natural resources management. Providing and promoting water education is a top priority for the council and this initiative has seen students engage in a wide range of activities focusing on changing behaviours.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council also uses the WaterWise campaign to actively engage the wider community in water conservation. Public education of permanent water conservation measures and water restrictions are supported by other council initiatives such as Home Water Saver Rebates and water audit programs.

Whilst new water connections have risen, annual water consumption has decreased as a result of the council’s holistic approach to water management. This decrease in water use has consequently reduced the need for Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to invest in new capital works projects.