Government – Other Utilities

The Melbourne Market Authority (MMA) is the operator/landlord of the 35 hectare Melbourne Wholesale Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Market in Footscray, a Victorian State Government owned enterprise located three kilometres from the centre of Melbourne. The implementation of various water saving initiatives has seen the market save 68 ML of water in the last 12 months.

The market has adopted a sophisticated approach to sustainable water use, combining product installations, software technology and water conservation education to reduce water use.

A 150,000 litre water tank was installed to capture water from the market roof which is now used for the daily market wash down. Traditionally 74 hoses were used to wash down produce, this was reduced to four hoses each fitted with trigger nozzles. Waterless urinals have been installed and door hinges have been modified to close doors after use, to stop the automatic toilet flushing equipment operating as people walk past toilet sensors. Water seals were installed on main storm water inlets not only to reduce the amount of green waste entering the system, but also to eliminate the flushing of drains with large amounts of potable water.

Serious underground water leaks, the daily wash down of the site combined with the water used in toilets and in refrigeration equipment traditionally saw the Market use on average 234,200 litres of water per day. Since management started implementing water saving measures, this figure has now been reduced to 47,800 litres of water per day. This equates to a massive 80% annual potable water saving.

Additionally, Smart Water Metering technology has been installed and provides online water usage statistics. Cameras, listening devices and pressure testing have also been deployed to detect water losses and leaks. Cool rooms were checked to ensure they were operating correctly and numerous coolers were adjusted to reduce overflow.

The Melbourne Market Authority has proudly promoted their water savings through quarterly newsletters and market circulars. Their efforts have also been recognised by City West Water and the National Market Place News with both organisations publishing a feature on the water savings.

With unpredictable rainfall patterns and water restrictions in place, the University of Melbourne identified an opportunity to produce a resource to assist the community in maintaining their gardens whilst being water efficient. SmartGardenWatering.org.au was developed to allow residents of Melbourne and Geelong to make informed decisions on how to achieve a water efficient garden.

The highly interactive website uses the latest horticultural data and algorithms to determine the amount of water that is required for each zone or section of a garden. The postcode of the garden is used to identify local climate and native soil type, which gives the user an accurate and tailored watering solution. Each garden zone can be individually designed with virtually any combination of plants, microclimates, terrain and watering system.

Additional features of the website include a tool to determine the best sized rainwater tank for a garden and access to the Burnley Plant Directory of over 1500 plants.

“The strong visual character of the website means that gardeners can very quickly appreciate both the right amount of water to apply and the timing of watering to achieve best efficiency,” said Geoff Connellan, Project Manager.

In partnership with the Victorian Government and Yarra Valley Water, Nillumbik Shire Council has developed and implemented the WaterSmart Sportsground Initiative, targeting four sportsgrounds to reduce their reliance on potable water.

The initiative has involved the redevelopment of the sportsgrounds, improved ground management, installation of alternative water sources and a community awareness program on saving water. As part of the program, sand based profiles and sub surface irrigation systems have been installed, with warm season grasses and soil moisture sensors also utilised to save water.

To further improve the efficiency of two of the sportsgrounds, Nillumbik Shire Council retrofitted their pavilions with flow restrictors and installed rainwater tanks to harvest water for toilet flushing.

“The WaterSmart Sportsground Initiative means that around 65% less potable water is being used in maintaining the Shire’s heavily used sportsgrounds. It means our local sporting clubs have high-quality facilities despite the drought,” said Councillor Bo Bendtsen, Nillumbik Shire Mayor.

Nillumbik Shire Council’s initiative has not only improved playing surfaces but has ensured the sportsgrounds are maintained for use well into the future.

Victoria Police, with over 350 sites across the state and a workforce of approximately 13,500, are committed to reducing their water consumption. Working directly with Yarra Valley Water, Victoria Police undertook a water audit at their Police Academy in Glen Waverley, enabling the organisation to develop a systematic and stepped approach to implementing water saving initiatives.

The outcomes of the water audit at the Academy have resulted in the installation of three 55,000 litre tanks, with collected water used for back washing of the Olympic sized swimming pool and maintaining gardens. A 100,000 litre underground tank has also been installed to supply water for the flushing of toilets and urinals. These upgrades have led to annual savings of 2.5 ML in potable water at the Police Academy.

Following the success of the water saving initiatives at Glen Waverley, Victoria Police has implemented a retrofit program, which is now underway across all of their sites in Victoria. This project to date has seen annual water savings of 41.5 ML.

“We are exceedingly proud to have been nominated for such a prestigious award. This type of recognition will only empower us to accomplish even more in the coming years,” said John Halls, Manager Environmental Sustainability Branch, Victoria Police.