South Australian councils show leadership on water

More than half of all local councils across Adelaide and the Mt Lofty Ranges have signed up to an innovative initiative to save scarce water resources.

Since 2005, 15 local councils have joined the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Water Campaign, which aims to build the capacity of local government to reduce water use and improve quality.

Funding

The initiative has received funding over three years from the Australian and State Governments through the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board.

Activities

ICLEI's South Australian Water Campaign Manager Kristyn Swaffer said participating councils adopted a special framework to improve water resource management. 

“The key to this is a set of five performance milestones that councils must reach before they can move on to the next step,” Kristyn said.

“It’s a very strategic approach that requires councils to take a hard look at their water consumption and water quality activities, and carry out a set of actions to address their water goals.”

When completing their milestones, councils not only consider how they can reduce use and improve water quality in their own operations, but also how they can influence the community through land-use planning, regulation and education.

Kristyn’s role is to provide ongoing support to councils by meeting with council staff, running training workshops and organising special events through the year to recognise and reward councils that have achieved their milestones. 

“We also provide technical support to help councils quantify their activities,” Kristyn said.
“For example a special calculator can be used to work out how much water is saved by going from a single flush to a dual flush toilet, or by switching from mains water to rain tanks.”

In just a couple of years, the councils have introduced a range of initiatives that are saving thousands of megalitres of water and demonstrating community leadership.

Water savings projects encompass water re-use and retrofitting initiatives and projects to improve water quality. These include installing systems that allow stormwater to be stored underground and reused for irrigation; retrofitting council buildings with water efficient appliances and installing litter traps over stormwater drains.

Achievements

ICLEI predicts that local council participation in its water campaign by mid-2008 will contribute substantially to the Waterproofing Adelaide Strategy.

“While many councils have yet to reach the implementation and reporting milestone, those councils that have started to take action are using initiatives to significantly reduce mains water use in South Australia,” Kristyn said.

More information

1. Kristyn Swaffer, SA Water Campaign Manager: (08) 8366 9246 or kristyn.swaffer@iclei.org
   ICLEI Oceania: Water Campaign 

Australian Government NRM Team
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
1800 552 008 (toll-free)

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Caring for our Country is an Australian Government initiative jointly administered by the Australian Government departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts