WITH Mount Isa engaged in further ongoing drought conditions and restrictions, Mayor Tony McGrady said water conservation was essential throughout every aspect of household and commercial activities.
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“Effective water conservation management is critical to the viability and future sustainability of our community,” Cr McGrady said.
“Closely observing the level 3 water restrictions in place and abiding by those guidelines is essential. However, setting a daily water consumption target for your family can be a great way to ensure you are doing everything you can to aid the severe drought situation we are in.
“Working together to sustainably manage our water will ensure we have what we need now and for the future and helps demonstrate that we truly are the ‘Waterwise City’.”
Here are some simple hints to help you reach your target –
■Set your household target. Remember to make it achievable, so if you are using 180 litres a day, aim for 155 litres a day, keeping in mind the enforced level 3 water restrictions.
■Start to record your water meter reading on a daily basis to monitor how much water you are using.
A water meter measures the amount of water that each property uses.
It will generally be located outside in the ground towards the front of a property. Most are at or below ground level, and have a metal or plastic lid.
If you live in a unit or apartment block, there may not be an individual water meter for each residence.
There are a range of different water meters across Queensland. The black numbers always register kilolitres (KL; thousands of litres), while the red numbers or dials register litres or parts of litres.
For example: This water meter reading indicates that 452,953 litres of water has been used since the meter was installed.
Read only the last three numbers or dials. If there is a fourth number or dial, this indicates tenths of a litre.
Numbers are read from left to right, while dials are read in a clockwise direction.
If you have trouble reading your meter, contact the Mount Isa City Council.
Use your water meter to detect leaks.
■Find your water meter and write down the numbers shown.
■Turn off all taps tightly and make sure that no one will be using any water on the premises.
■After one hour, check the water meter reading. If the numbers have changed, there may be a leak.
■If it appears there is a leak, the first item to check is the toilet. Turn off the water valves located under each toilet and then redo first three steps.
■If the numbers haven’t changed during this time, you may have a leaking toilet. To check this, put a little food colouring in the toilet cistern. If, without flushing, the colouring begins to appear in the bowl, the cistern needs to be repaired. Note: After the test, flush your toilet twice to prevent the food colouring staining the toilet bowl.
■Alternatively, if the numbers have increased, there is a leak somewhere else on your property. For further investigation, contact a licensed plumber.
■Decrease your water consumption by using it wisely and replacing old appliances with water-efficient products.
Here are some simple water-saving tips to help you reach your target while staying within a budget.
■Reduce shower time by two minutes ($0), 18 litres a day.
■Three-star, water-efficient shower head ($10-$85), up to 45litres a day.
■Use an aerator and place a bucket in the sink while waiting for hot water ($6), 9 litres a minute.
■Use a bucket in the shower while waiting for hot water ($1), 9 litres a minute.
■Fix a dripping tap in your home ($1-$5), 5-50 litres a day.
■Use a Fixaflush or Waterwizz cistern weight for manual flush time ($10), 10 litres a day.
■Fix a leaking toilet in your home ($5-$20), 5-100 litres a day.
■Four-star, front-loading washing machine ($500-$2000), 57 litres a day.
■For more information about level 3 water restrictions, visit the Mount Isa City Council website – www.mountisa.qld.gov.au.