Work in replacing inefficient and gaining irrigation systems and conducting thorough water audits to detect leaks has earned the Western Australian Town of Claremont the title of Waterwise Council.

 

State Water Minister Bill Marmion congratulated Claremont on becoming the state’s 19th Waterwise Council, saying the effort made by the down was a major accomplishment.

 

“Claremont has replaced old, inefficient irrigation systems with new ones to increase the efficiency of water application,” Mr Marmion said.

 

“The system has leak detection technology, and irrigation scheduling based on the daily evapotranspiration rates to make sure only the minimum amount of water is used to maintain the turf. This is making best use of valuable groundwater resources in watering public open spaces.”

 

“The town conducted a water audit of the Claremont pool and found some leaks which had caused water spikes of up to 10,000 litres per day,” Mr Marmion said.

 

“This has been repaired and reduced annual water consumption by half, with further planned scheme water efficiency measures expected to reduce annual consumption by another 34 per cent.”

 

The Waterwise Council program is run through collaboration between the Department of Water, Water Corporation and the International Council for Local Environment Initiatives - Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI). In order to achieve Waterwise Council status, councils must demonstrate improved water management at corporate and community levels by setting and achieving goals to reduce their water consumption.