Businesses encouraged to save water the smart way

High water users across South West Victoria are seeing the benefits of a free program where digital water monitoring devices have quickly alerted them to leaks.

The Victorian Government’s WaterSmart Program is supporting Wannon Water’s non-residential customers to improve water efficiency and save money. The program targets organisations such as hospitals, aged care providers, councils, caravan parks, and businesses that have the potential to make significant water savings.

WaterSmart provides eligible organisations with water use monitoring for three years, allowing them to see how much water their site is using on a day-to-day basis. Those who reduce their water use are not only more sustainable, but have lower water bills. If hot water use is also reduced, they use less energy, leading to lower energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Email alerts are sent to participants as soon as the loggers detect any abnormal water use. This helps identify potential leaks or malfunctioning equipment.

Wannon Water planning and development professional Jess Quinlivan said more than 45 digital loggers have been installed across the region since the free program was rolled out late last year.

“A number of local councils and major businesses have signed on, with the devices now monitoring water use across a range of sites,” Ms Quinlivan said. “They’ve found the data they’re getting is really easy to understand and has helped them to quickly respond to leaks they may not have found for some time.”

Glenelg Shire Council has installed digital monitors across 10 of its sites including sporting facilities, offices and parks.

Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Adam Smith praised the initiative, saying he was notified of an unusual spike in water use at a toilet block in Portland’s Alexandra Park. He received an email to advise that 100 litres of water had been used overnight, even though the facility had been locked up since summer.

“We were able to quickly trace a leak back to a faulty tap in the women’s toilets and fix it,” Mr Smith said. “It saved us a lot of water and money that would otherwise have been wasted.”

Mr Smith said being able to remotely monitor water use at isolated facilities from his computer, and getting alerts if the readings were much higher than usual was a huge bonus. “We’d love to have the free loggers on all our facilities, particularly the more isolated ones. The effort of getting sites assessed and the loggers installed is definitely well worth it.”

Ms Quinlivan said it was great to hear good stories come out of the program. “I think this is just an example of what the outcomes can be for multiple different business types. We’re not just looking at enlisting sports fields or swimming pools, but small businesses like cafes, laundromats, and caravan parks.”

Wannon Water is urging its higher water using customers to check if they are eligible and sign up for the program by calling 1300 926 666.