Where are Adelaide’s biggest water users?
WHERE are Adelaide’s water hogs? SA Water figures reveal the areas of the state that churn through the most water — and the homes in SA’s premium irrigation districts don’t top the list.
GARDENS in Adelaide’s east are the biggest drain on South Australia’s domestic water system with consumption directly linked to the location of the city’s green belt.
SA Water statistics show only householders in the fourth-highest consumption area Loxton, and sixth-highest Renmark, were able to bump posh suburbs out of a list of the top ten areas for water use in the state.
Some suburbs are using an average per home of six suburban swimming pools of water each year, or 300,000 litres compared to what Adelaide University says is the minimum safe family consumption for modernised countries of 100,000 litres.
SA Water has provided consumption figures for the 2014-15 financial year showing the highest consumers are people in East Torrens using 294,000 litres, Walkerville 279,000 litres, Burnside 253,000 litres, Loxton 241,000 litres and Mitcham 232,000 litres.
Waterwise Mitcham resident Marg Wilkinson, 66, said after being faced with high water consumption during the most recent drought she converted to a Mediterranean-style garden as a practical alternative.
“When we had that terrible drought I had an English country garden and I had to change all that,’’ said Ms Wilkinson, who is on the committee of the South Australian open garden scheme.
“I used to have to water every day but I had to re-educate myself during the drought and now ideally the garden is only watered twice a week but when it is 40C it will get another dose.’’
Executive director of the South Australian Council of Social Service Ross Womersley warned there was a danger of very high water bills because of a hot summer in Adelaide.
“All households need to be preparing now, anticipating that their bills in coming months will be much more substantial because they are making use of the water that’s available in rather dry conditions,’’ he said.
Adelaide University Professor Mike Young said the high consumption in some areas could be explained mainly because of the need to water gardens.
“Around 100,000 litres a year is about as low as you can go in a developed country using toilets and a family having a shower every day,’’ he said.
“That is considered as efficient as you can get, just to remain healthy.
“Three hundred kilolitres is a lot if you just have a house but not if you have a garden.’’
Professor Young said high consumption when water was plentiful paid for better water security during drought.
“At the moment while we have enough water in the state the high consumption is financing all the investments we are making into infrastructure,’’ he said.
“People who use the most are also contributing the most.’’
South Australia’s lowest consumers of water live in Port Macdonnell using only 91,000 litres each year on average, followed by Penola 102,000 litres, Minlaton 105,000 litres, Millicent 106,000 litres and Central Yorke Peninsula 111,000 litres.
The figures do not include the bulk of irrigation in Loxton and Renmark, which uses River Murray water, but does include household growings, which put the two areas into the top 10.
Uniting Communities utility expert Mark Henley said a hot and probably dry summer would put enormous pressure on large number of households.
“Essential service bills are now the single most mentioned reason for new clients seeking financial counselling,’’ he said.
SA Water advises household gardeners to save water this summer by reusing greywater from the laundry on the garden, replacing dripping taps or broken seals, watering gardens at night or early in the morning, using a dripper system, applying mulch, planting native plants and drought resistant lawns.
Work starts on wetlands
WORK will start soon on wetlands in Felixstow and Marden as part of a $24 million project to reuse stormwater for irrigating parks.
A $7.6 million federal funding injection is supporting the latest stage of the Waterproofing Eastern Adelaide project, which involves capturing and storing stormwater in underground aquifers to use for irrigating public reserves.
Industry, Innovation and Science Minister Christopher Pyne said the Felixstow and Marden wetlands, in his Sturt electorate, would capture stormwater and return it to surrounding suburbs.
“If we can manage water in suburban areas well, then everyone benefits. This innovative project is important to preserve our water resources and reuse it for the benefit of our community,” Mr Pyne said.
“The project will reduce operational spending on local reserve irrigation, as well as green our suburbs and enhance the quality of water that is normally discharged into our Gulf.”
The Eastern Adelaide Alliance, involving three local councils, has contributed $12.5 million to the project, in addition to the federal total of $9.5 million.