Port Stephens Council saves 71 Olympic swimming pools of water in one year

Construction of a new amenities building with water saving features at Fingal Bay Holiday Park along with the installation of a new fibreglass pool liner at Tomaree Aquatic Centre are just two of the water saving measures implemented by Port Stephens Council in the 2019-20 financial year contributing to Council saving the equivalent of 71 Olympic swimming pools of water and $69,880.

General Manager Wayne Wallis notes “given the water restriction measures in place during the 2019-20 financial year, we developed a Drought Resilience Team to not only look at how we could save water but what we could do across all our major sites.

“The data told us that our annual drinking water consumption was between 217ML and 268ML across the Port Stephens local government area - with our holiday parks making up almost 39% of annual consumption, followed by sporting facilities and aquatic centres.

“We have a responsibility not only to strive for cost saving measures but also uphold our commitment to help protect and sustain our natural environment.

“We will continue to look for water savings, reducing demand on Hunter Water’s systems and saving ratepayers money.”

Acting Facilities and Services Group Manager Tim Crosdale says upgrades to Council infrastructure are also responsible for the savings adding “we are currently rolling out our biggest Capital Works program ever across the region.

“Most of these water savings have been achieved by fixing leaks, upgrading water pipes and installing irrigation timing systems particularly in our holiday parks and recreation areas.

“As we replace aging infrastructure, we will install the most up-to-date water saving features. A great example is the upgrade at Fingal Bay Holiday Park where we’re constructing a new amenities building with water saving features.

“We also worked with Sports Councils to see how water consumption could be reduced on our playing fields and replaced the pool liner at Tomaree Aquatic Centre with a new fibreglass pool liner, which saved water in the process.”

Port Stephens Council will continue to work with Hunter Water to identify opportunities to reduce the demand on water resources including using bore water, raw water or recycled water for drinking water where appropriate.

For more information about saving water visit Hunter Water’s smart water choices https://www.hunterwater.com.au/our-water/water-supply/smart-water-choices

Image: Fingal Bay Holiday Park where works are underway for a new amenities building with water saving features