Water conservation is important in South Australia due to the state's dry climate and increasing pressures on water resources from population growth and climate change. South Australia receives less rainfall than other parts of Australia and relies heavily on the Murray River for water supplies. If no action is taken, Adelaide's water supply may fail to meet health standards 40% of the time within 20 years. Conserving water helps maintain adequate water supplies for future generations and the environment. It also reduces costs by lessening the need for expensive infrastructure and salinity management projects.

1. Water
Conservation
Handbook
for Local Government

2. Water Conservation Partnership Project Acknowledgments
Department for Environment and Heritage
The Department for Environment and Heritage on behalf of
GPO Box 1047 Adelaide South Australia 5001
the project partners of the Water Conservation Partnership
Project (WCPP) would like to thank the following groups and
July 2005
individuals for their valuable contribution.
ISBN 0 7590 1055 2
Project Management Group:
Disclaimer Martin Allen (DWLBC)
The views contained in this handbook do not necessarily Marilla Barnes (SA Water)
represent those of the Department for Environment and Natasha Davis (NABCWMB)
Heritage or the South Australian Government or the partners Janet Inman (OCWMB)
engaged in the Water Conservation Partnership Project. Tanya Miller (Office of Sustainability, seconded from the City
of West Torrens)
The Water Conservation Partnership Project Stephen West (City of Burnside)
2000- 2004 partners were:
Consultants:
• Local Government Association of South Australia
Sustainable Focus Pty Ltd
(LGA)
11 Gething Crescent, Bowden SA 5007
• River Murray Urban Users Local Action Planning Tel (08) 8340 8666
Committee (RMUULAPC) Email info@sustainablefocus.com.au
• Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH) Web www.sustainablefocus.com.au
• Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity
Conservation (DWLBC) Other contacts:
• Planning SA Jade Ballantyne (City of Holdfast Bay)
• SA Water Graham Brook (City of Tea Tree Gully)
• Torrens Catchment Water Management Board Ben Calder (City of Onkaparinga)
(TCWMB) Jeremy Cape (CSIRO)
• Patawalonga Catchment Water Management Board David Cooney and Graham Webster (Alexandrina Council)
(PCWMB) David Cunliffe (Department for Human Services)
• River Murray Catchment Water Management Board Trudi Duffield (Murray Darling Association)
(RMCWMB) Michael Howley (City of Unley)
Tim Kelly (SA Water)
• Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board
Jacob Kochergen (City of Mitcham)
(OCWMB)
David Lane (Streaky Bay District Council)
• Northern Adelaide and Barossa Catchment Water
Justin Lang (City of Campbelltown
Management Board (NABCWMB)
Rima Lauge-Christensen (Hornsby Shire Council
• CSIRO Marnie Lynch (City of Prospect)
• Natural Heritage Trust Rebecca Neumann (WaterWise)
John Salter (City of Adelaide)
Project Manager Verity Sanders (City of Port Adelaide Enfield)
Phil Donaldson Chris Tually (City of Unley)
Office of Sustainability Glen Williams (Adelaide Hills Council)
and many others.
The assistance of the Graphic Design Unit, Public Affairs
Branch (DEH) and the Murray Darling Association is
appreciated in the final production of the manual.

3. Foreword
The sustainable use of our water resources is crucial to The case studies contained in the Water Conservation
ensure that future generations will enjoy the same Handbook for Local Government demonstrate the
quality of life that we now enjoy. The stresses on the leadership shown by a number of councils in South
River Murray, a key water resource for Adelaide and Australia to reduce their own water use, and to provide
many South Australian country towns, and the pressure water conservation educational and incentive schemes
on water resources in the Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo for their communities. The Handbook sets out how
Island regions have become increasingly evident. councils can develop polices and plan for water
Rising water salinity, stressed water dependent conservation in their community and within council
ecosystems and increasing pollution in our coastal and operations. It provides an opportunity for each council
riverine environments are an indication of the impact in South Australia to mobilise resources to implement
we have had on our water resources. The potential for water conservation initiatives within its community.
climate change to alter rainfall in South Australia,
The Water Conservation Partnership Project (WCPP)
highlights the need for flexible and sustainable
partners have been responsible for the production of
management of our water resources.
this handbook. The WCPP (2000-2004) has been a
At the same time community expectations in relation to joint partnership between the Local Government
water are beginning to change. The community expects Association and local councils, the Department for
all levels of Government to assist in protecting water Environment and Heritage, the River Murray Urban
resources. The South Australian Government has Users Committee, the Department of Water Land and
introduced permanent water conservation measures for Biodiversity Conservation, Planning SA, SA Water,
the first time and embarked on a WaterCare community Patawalonga and Torrens Catchment Water
education campaign to increase awareness of the Management Boards, River Murray Catchment Water
precious nature of our water resources. The community Management Board, Onkaparinga Catchment Water
as a whole is beginning to accept an obligation on all Management Board, Northern Adelaide and Barossa
users to become efficient in their water use and to Catchment Water Management Board and the CSIRO.
reduce wasteful practices. It was funded through the Commonwealth’s Natural
Heritage Trust and with the assistance of the project
The Water Conservation Handbook for Local
partners.
Government is a recognition that all sections of the
South Australian community, including State and Local We recommend this handbook to everyone in South
Government, need to respect our water resources to Australia as an important resource to assist in
ensure the long term sustainability of the State. The community water conservation efforts. It is an
State Government, in response to this need, has excellant resource to focus councils on their efforts to
launched its Greening of Government (GoGO) policy use their water resources in their community in a
framework. The Government has eight priority areas sustainable way.
including water conservation and wastewater
management. GoGO gives a clear message that the
State Government is serious about managing the
environmental impacts of its own operations and the
sustainable use of water resources.
Hon John Hill MP Hon Karlene Maywald MP
Minister for Environment and Conservation Minister for the River Murray
Date 1st July 2005 Date 1st July 2005
Cr John Legoe Colin Hill
President of the Local Government Association of Chairman of the River Murray Urban Users Committee
South Australia
Date 1st July 2005
Date 1st July 2005
Water Conservation Handbook

4. Water Conservation Handbook i

5. Table of Contents
Welcome 1 SECTION 5
How can you implement the ideas in this How to conserve water in Council
Handbook? 1 operations 21
Where can you go for more information? 1 Introduction 21
Approaches 21
SECTION 1 A different approach – using an Energy and
Why worry about water? 3 Water Performance Contract 21
Why is water conservation important? 3 Planning sheet 1: Undertaking a Water Audit 23
Where does our water come from? 3 Planning sheet 2: Irrigation water use 25
Where is water used? 4 Planning sheet 3: Facility water use 29
What are the benefits of conserving water? 5 Planning sheet 4: Alternative supplies of water 31
How can we conserve water? 6 Planning sheet 5: Construction and refurbishments 35
SECTION 2 SECTION 6
What is happening in water conservation Community programs for water
internationally, nationally and in South conservation 37
Australia? 7 Introduction – Planning your community programs 37
The International context 7 Where are the largest savings in household
The Australian context 7 water use? 38
National Water Conservation Labelling How using logic can help with your planning 40
Scheme and the Water Services Association Describe and plan the program 42
of Australia (WSAA) 7 Options for water conservation activities 43
The South Australian context 8
Catchment Water Management Boards and SECTION 7
NRM Boards 9 References and contact details 49
Local Government 9 Resource materials included in Section 7 49
Contacts and resources 50
SECTION 3 References 50
Planning for water conservation 11
Introduction 11
Principles 11 Resources on CD
The Planning Process 12 Information sheets and resources developed for this
1. Developing your approach 12 handbook:
2. Preliminary approval 13 - Best practice water conservation principles
3. Investigation and data collection 13 - Rainwater tanks information sheet
4. Design 15 - Greywater systems information sheet
5. Implementation 15 - Home water self-audit worksheet and manual
6. Review – monitoring and evaluation 16 - Community program planning worksheet
Water Conservation Partnership Project 2003- 2004
SECTION 4 demonstration projects
Changing Council policies and plans 17 Australian and International case studies
Introduction 17 Other case studies
Strategic Management Plans 17 Materials
Development Plans 17
Internal policies and procedures 18
Stormwater 18
Council policies and plans related to
water management 20
Water Conservation Handbook ii

6. LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES
Figure 1 The natural water cycle 3 Table 1 Possible stakeholders in water
Figure 2 Human impacts on the water cycle 4 conservation 14
Figure 3 Regions in South Australia supplied Table 2 Estimated annual water use by
by the River Murray 5 dwelling type (1993) 39
Figure 4 Adelaide metropolitan water supply 5 Table 3 Indicative savings for using water
conservation methods or devices 40
Figure 5 Water use in South Australia 5
Table 4 Examples of incentive programs 44
Figure 6 The water conservation management
hierarchy 11 Table 5 Examples of education and
communication programs 46
Figure 7 Council policies and plans related to
water management 20
Figure 8 Example chart of water use at an
urban Council depot 23
Figure 9 Example breakdown of water use in
a Council office building 24
Figure 10 Unley Museum Rainwater Tanks
Project Demonstration Site 31
Figure 11 Aquifer Storage and Recovery 32
Figure 12 Laratinga wetlands 34
Figure 13 Typical household water use 37
Figure 14 Efficient household water use 38
Figure 15 Components of a basic program
logic model 41
Figure 16 Worked example – right-to-left
program logic model 41
Figure 17 Worked example – left-to-right
program logic model 42
iii Water Conservation Handbook

7. Welcome
This Handbook has been prepared as a water Where can you go for more
conservation resource for Local Government staff and
elected members. Whether you know a little or a lot
information?
about water conservation, this Handbook is designed to Section 7 can be found on the attached CD, It contains
assist you to: information about organisations that may be able to
1. understand why water conservation is important, help you with resources and advice in implementing
especially in South Australia (Section 1); water conservation programs. It includes information
sheets, a household water audit manual and other
2. understand what is happening in water
selected resource materials.
conservation – internationally, nationally and at a
state level (Section 2);
3. develop an overall water conservation plan
(Section 3);
4. alter Council policies and plans to assist water
conservation (Section 4);
5. improve Council operations so that they conserve
water (Section 5); and
6. undertake community programs in water
conservation (Section 6).
The Handbook is an outcome of the Water
Conservation Partnership Project 2000- 2004 (refer to
the inside of the front cover for a list of project
partners).
How can you implement the ideas
in this Handbook?
If you are new to water conservation, you might like to
read sections 1 and 2 to understand the issues
surrounding water conservation and the context for
Local Government water conservation programs.
Section 2 gives an overview of international, national,
State and regional initiatives, current legislation
relevant to water conservation and the context of water
conservation within the South Australian Local
Government Act.
If you have sufficient time and resources, it is best to
prepare a water conservation plan to cover Council
policies, operations and community education. Section
3 provides guidance on planning your approach to
water conservation. If you have limited time and
resources, you could focus on changing Council plans
and policies, as outlined in Section 4.
Saving water in Council operations will reduce your
Council’s water bills and the savings can be used in
turn to fund other programs. Section 5 provides
guidance for saving water in Council operations.
Section 6 is an overview of incentive and education
programs that Councils can run for the community.
Water Conservation Handbook 1

8. 2 Water Conservation Handbook

9. S E C T I O N
Why worry about water?
1
Why is water conservation water supply will fail World Health Organisation
Guidelines for drinking water on average 40% of the
important? time. The situation will be worse in areas that rely
Water is a precious resource that needs to be used solely on the River Murray for their water supply. In
wisely, especially in Australia, which is the driest addition, if action is not taken, increasing stream
inhabited continent on earth. At the moment we don’t salinity in the River Murray is projected to raise water
use water wisely; in fact, we use more water per person costs in South Australia by $17 million a year3. Major
than every other nation on earth, except for the United interventions such as dredging of the Murray Mouth,
States. In addition, salinity and deteriorating water salinity interception schemes and permanent water
quality are seriously affecting the sustainability of restrictions are contributing to the sustainable
Australia’s agricultural production, the conservation of management of our water resources.
biological diversity and the viability of our
infrastructure and regional communities (CoAG Conserving water is an effective way of maintaining an
Communique, see www.coag.gov.au/ for full details). adequate quality and quantity of water for the
environment and for future generations. Fortunately,
Conserving water is particularly important in South most people in South Australia recognise that water
Australia because it is the driest state in Australia. On quality and conservation are crucial issues. For
average, 48 per cent of Australia receives more than example, in a survey of residents of the West Torrens
300mm of rainfall each year, whereas only twelve per Council area, the 200 respondents rated water quality
cent of South Australia does1. As a comparison, the and water conservation as their primary and fourth
annual flow of the Murray–Darling River system carries issues of environmental concern (from sixteen options).
less water than the Amazon River does in one day2. These issues also rank highly in environmental
perspective surveys of South Australians undertaken by
The effects of our high levels of water use have been the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
dramatic. For example, currently the lower River
Murray effectively experiences drought conditions one Where does our water come from?
year in two, whereas before European arrival these
conditions only occurred once every twenty years. If Water circulates through the natural environment in a
nothing is done, reduced flows and increased salinity continuing cycle powered by the sun. This is known as
the water cycle and is shown in Figure 1.
will mean that within twenty years Adelaide’s main
FIGURE 1 The natural water cycle
CLOUD FORMATION SUN
CONDENSING WATER VAPOUR
SNOW PRECIPITATION
HAIL EVAPORATION FROM PRECIPITATION,
RAIN SURFACE WATER, RESPIRATION
SURFACE (ANIMALS), COMBUSTION (MACHINES),
RUNOFF TRANSPIRATION (PLANTS)
LAKES EVAPORATION
OCEAN CONTRIBUTES
INF ABOUT 80% OF TOTAL
I LT R A
GR TIO N WATER VAPOUR IN AIR
OU
ND
WA
TE RESERVOIRS OCEAN
R
SALT WATER
IMP INTRUSION
ERV
IOU
S LA
YER
Water Conservation Handbook 3

10. FIGURE 2 Human impacts on the water cycle
Many human activities impact significantly on the Rural and remote communities rely on a wide variety
water cycle. For example, clearing vegetation degrades of water sources including groundwater, small local
water quality through soil erosion and changes water dams, household rainwater tanks and water piped over
flow patterns because of altered rates of evaporation, many kilometres in regional pipeline systems.
transpiration and infiltration. Some human impacts on
the water cycle are shown in Figure 2 from Where is water used?
www.watercare.net.
South Australia uses water for irrigated agriculture,
South Australians receive their water from a number of manufacturing, domestic use, dryland farming and
major water supply systems, some of which rely on mining. Figure 52 on page 5 demonstrates where water
local water sources, but many of which rely on the is used in South Australia.
River Murray. In an average year, the River Murray
supplies almost half the State's urban water needs. In While 80 per cent of water used in the State is used for
dry years, the River Murray supplies up to 90 per cent irrigation, reducing water use by Local Government
of the State’s urban water needs. Major regions in and the community is important in that it shows we all
South Australia supplied by the River Murray are need to work together when asking irrigators to make
depicted in Figure 3. A recent offtake to the Barossa is efficiency improvements. Water conservation in the
not included. community provides many benefits in addition to water
resource conservation.
Adelaide is supplied via large pipelines from the River
Murray and from the Adelaide Hills Catchment area, as
shown on page 5 in Figure 45.
4 Water Conservation Handbook

11. FIGURE 3 Regions in South Australia supplied by FIGURE 4 Adelaide metropolitan water supply
the River Murray
What are the benefits of
conserving water?
There are benefits for Local Government across the
triple bottom line (economic, social and environmental)
from conserving water. FIGURE 5 Water use in South Australia
Economic
Conserving water within your own Council’s operations
can reduce water bills significantly – see Section 5
(page 21) for a case study. The implementation of
water conservation measures can also delay the need to
augment water supply and disposal infrastructure.
Social/community
Social and community benefits of water conservation
include the flow-on savings of reduced water bills (and
energy bills where hot water is conserved) to residents
and the conservation of water resources for future
generations (contributing to inter-generational equity).
In addition, water conservation ensures food and other
Irrigated agriculture 80%
goods can continue to be grown and manufactured at
current prices. Industry, manufacturing, services 6%
Dryland farming and rural living 4%
Water conservation improves people’s quality of life as Urban domestic water services 9%
it enables them to enjoy recreational activities such as
Mining 1%
fresh water fishing, boating and water sports.
By taking action on water conservation Local
Government can meet community expectations and
demonstrate local leadership.
Water Conservation Handbook 5

12. Environmental 2. Structural and operational measures
Conserving water helps to improve environmental Three types of structural measures for water
flows in our rivers and reduces demand on conservation exist:
groundwater sources. This in turn improves river and
• the use of more water efficient plumbing fixtures in
ecosystem health and groundwater quality, decreases
buildings and within the water supply system;
salinity and maintains biodiversity. Conserving water
also has end-of-pipe benefits for the environment. For • more efficient use of water outdoors; and
example: • access to alternative water sources such as reuse,
rainwater and groundwater.
• reducing indoor water usage decreases sewage
volumes, leading to a reduction in treated and
Local Government can demonstrate leadership by
untreated effluent discharges to water bodies; and
improving the performance of its own operations.
Refer to Section 5 for further information about
• capture and use of rainwater reduces stormwater improving water conservation in Council operations.
volumes, leading to reduced volumes of street run­
off. This may reduce flooding, erosion and 3. Community programs – education and
environmental damage to our streams and coastal incentives
waters. Education and incentive schemes can be used by Local
Government to encourage the uptake of water
Conserving water can also help to reduce greenhouse conservation practices and technologies, see Section 6
gas emissions. In addition to the energy saved from for further information.
reduced use of hot water, electricity use and associated
greenhouse gas emissions are reduced because less 4. Economic instruments
water is being pumped from the River Murray to urban Economic instruments are market-based mechanisms
areas in South Australia. Currently, the energy required such as pricing, tradeable property rights and economic
to do this is 906 kWh/Ml (three times the Australian or enforcement incentives to encourage water users to
average) and the associated greenhouse emissions are modify their behaviour to achieve sustainability.
in excess of 200 000 tonnes per annum (this is Economic instruments can be established by Federal
equivalent to the annual emissions from 40 000 cars)8. and State Governments and water utilities, and are
seldom used by Local Government.
How can we conserve water?
Overall, Local Government has an important role in
Councils are increasingly being encouraged by their facilitating water conservation as it is:
communities to address water conservation as a priority
environmental issue. Conserving water means using • responsible for the provision of infrastructure and
water resources more wisely. In the water industry this services;
is known as ‘demand management’. Demand • responsible for local environmental management
management can often be undertaken without changing and regulation; and
the way we live or dramatically changing our lifestyles. • able to provide opportunities for local education,
Four major types of demand management instruments public participation and local action.
exist to encourage water conservation.
NOTE:
1. Regulatory instruments
The State and Federal Governments have a role in
regulation through methods such as mandatory A national mandatory water efficiency labelling
labelling of the water efficiency of appliances and and standards scheme is likely to be in operation
restricting the sale of non-water efficient devices. from 1 July 2005.
There are various regulatory methods that Local
Government can use to encourage water conservation, The scheme will ensure consumers have
see Section 4 (page 17). South Australia has in place knowledge about water efficiency of domestic
the capacity to introduce water restrictions which products, such as dishwashers, taps, shower
permit or prohibit certain water use behaviour, see systems and washing machines in the first
Section 4 for details instance.
6 Water Conservation Handbook

13. S E C T I O N
What is happening in water
2
conservation internationally,
nationally and in South Australia?
The international context These have included charging for the full cost of
supplying water, creating a market to allow the
Conserving water is one of the many challenges for water to move to higher value crops or uses, and
humanity in moving towards sustainability. At an separating the regulatory and supply functions of
international level, there have been a number of water management agencies. Since 1996, there
agreements and events that have focused on the has been some progress in most states and
importance of water conservation including: territories. Reforms are not yet fully and
• the UN Conference on the Human Environment equitably implemented, however. For example -
(Stockholm, 1972); users of urban water largely meet the
environmental costs of urban water supply in
• the International Drinking Water Supply and
most states and territories, but the costs of rural
Sanitation Decade launch (Mar del Plata, 1977);
water generally do not account for the full
• the World Conference on Water and the environmental cost of extraction. For details go
Environment (Dublin, 1992); to www.deh.gov.au/soe/2001/water.html.
• the UNCED Earth Summit - Agenda 21 (Rio de
Janeiro, 1992); In 2002, a Senate Inquiry into Australia's Urban Water
• the Drinking Water and Environmental Sanitation Management made recommendations for
Conference on the Implementation of Agenda 21 Commonwealth-led reform of urban water management
(Noordwijk, Meeting of Ministers, 1994); in Australia. The Senate Report 'The Value of Water' is
available at www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/
• the Global Water Partnership meeting (Stockholm,
ecita_ctte/water/report/contents.htm.
1996);
• the 1st World Water Forum of the World Water At its meeting on June 25 2004, COAG agreed to a
Council (Marrakesh, 1997); National Water Initiative (NWI), covering a range of
• the World Summit (Johannesburg, 2002); and areas in which greater compatability and the adoption
• the 3rd World Water Forum (Japan, 2003). of best practice approaches to water management
nationally will bring substantial benefits. Key elements
The Australian context of the NWI include the return of over allocated systems
to sustainable levels and actions to better manage water
The Commonwealth Government has a limited role in demand in urban areas.
water conservation, as resource issues are generally the www.coag.gov.au/meetings/250604
jurisdiction of State and Local Governments. In
February 1994, the Council of Australian Governments A potentially powerful regulatory role for the
(COAG) consisting of the Prime Minister, Premiers, Commonwealth Government and its agencies is the
Chief Ministers and the President of the Australian Building Code of Australia (BCA), which can be used
Local Government Association agreed to implement a as a significant tool to ensure water efficient appliances
‘strategic framework to achieve an efficient and are standard in new buildings. For example, under the
sustainable water industry’. BCA only dual-flush cisterns can now be installed in
Australia.
The COAG Water Reform Framework aims to
improve water management and to ensure that
the extraction of water is sustainable.
Governments have introduced a range of reforms
to the water industry (see
www.deh.gov.au/water/policy/coag.html
Water Conservation Handbook 7

14. National Water Conservation
The Waste Control Regulations come into effect in
Labelling Scheme and the Water those areas where the SA Water Corporation's sewage
Services Association of Australia services are not available. About one third of South
Australians (400 000 people) are serviced by
Many water efficient products are rated under a
wastewater systems administered under the Waste
National Water Conservation Labelling Scheme
Control Regulations. The Waste Control Regulations
administered by the Water Services Association of
are administered by Local Government or authorised
Australia (WSAA). Under the scheme products can be
officers of the Department of Health with delegated
labelled from ‘A’ (a moderate water efficiency rating)
authority from the Minister of Health, depending on
to ‘AAAAA’ (the best rating of all). Many products are
the type of system. For details refer to
available that are rated at least ‘AAA’.
www.dh.sa.gov.au/pehs/branches/wastewater/wastewate
r-legis.htm
These include showerheads, washing machines, toilet
All public water supplies (including communal
suites, flow restrictors and some other appliances and
rainwater tanks) are subject to the Food Act and
fixtures. A listing of products certified under the
Regulations.
Scheme is available on the WSAA website
www.wsaa. asn.au.
Refer to Section 7 for further contact details.
Water supply and treatment
Water supply and infrastructure in South Australia is
The Department of Environment and Heritage managed by SA Water. There are some exceptions
(Commonwealth Government Department) will where water is supplied by private companies, for
introduce a national mandatory water efficiency example at Skye, Coober Pedy, Leigh Creek, Woomera
labelling and minimum water efficiency standards and Roxby Downs. In turn, rainwater tanks are
(WELS) for domestic appliances, fixtures and fittings managed by individual householders or businesses.
as a method of reducing urban water consumption. See
www.deh.gov.au/water/urban/final-report.html for SA Water manages the bulk of the state’s reticulation
details. systems, especially in the metropolitan area and large
country towns. There are some private reticulation
systems in smaller country towns (e.g. Weeroona
The South Australian context
Island).
Legislation
The Water Resources Act 1997 sets the legislative SA Water also manages the bulk of SA's wastewater
framework in South Australia for water resource treatment. There are some private wastewater treatment
management. It includes a requirement for the State and re-use schemes and many smaller country areas
Government to prepare and keep an up-to-date State have septic tank effluent disposal system (STEDS)
Water Plan (the current plan was released in September schemes operated by Councils. In country areas many
2000) and provides the powers for the creation of households and businesses have individual on-site
Catchment Water Management Boards with delegated wastewater treatment systems.
authority to prepare Catchment Water Management
Plans. Other Acts which contain provisions relevant to Stormwater infrastructure is managed by local
water management include the Environment Protection Councils. Refer to Section 4 for details.
Act 1993 (water pollution), Sewerage Act 1929,
Waterworks Act (restrictions) and the Public and State Government bodies and partnerships
Environmental Health Act 1987 (sanitation and The Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity
drainage). The Natural Resources Management Act Conservation (DWLBC) is the principal Department
2004, has recently been passed which will eventually which assists the Minister responsible for the
replace the Water Resouces Act 1997 and allow for the administration of the South Australian Water Resources
development to Natural Resource Management Boards Act 1997. Through effective administration of the Act,
instead. the Department seeks to encourage use of water for its
highest and best return within sustainable limits.
The safe collection, treatment and disposal of non­
industrial wastewater (sewage and wastewater of The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) regulates
domestic origin) is managed in South Australia under and prosecutes for water pollution activities and also
the Sewerage Act administered by SA Water or the provides water education programs for business and the
Public and Environmental Health Act (Waste Control community including Codes of Practice for Stormwater
Regulations) 1995. Pollution Prevention.
8 Water Conservation Handbook

15. SA Water is a corporation wholly owned by the Adelaide Hills catchments and groundwater resources
Government of South Australia (with United Water also face competition for water from the various water
and United Utilities as subcontractors) responsible for using sectors. The second issue is Adelaide’s increasing
reticulated water supply, wastewater treatment and thirst.
infrastructure throughout much of South Australia.
Although South Australia is at the forefront of water
Planning SA is a State Government agency, part of the conservation and reuse initiatives, in the absence of
Department of Transport and Urban Planning, further action, as foreshadoweed in the draft Water
responsible for guiding and administering the South Proofing Adelaide strategy - the trend of increasing
Australian Planning and Development Assessment demand for water in Adelaide would be expected to
System. Planning SA has developed a Stormwater continue. The Water Proofing Adelaide document
Plan Amendment Report and guidelines for Local provides strategies for ensuring our water supplies are
Government, as well as information on good sustainable well into the future through better land
residential design and planning frameworks. management and in developing alternative water
supplies
The Environmental Health Service of the Department For more information go to:
of Health provides a range of scientific, engineering www.waterproofingadelaide.sa.gov.au
and technical services related to public and
environmental health, specifically in the areas of Catchment Water Management
drinking water (including rainwater), sanitation and Boards and NRM Boards
wastewater management. This includes administration
of the Waste Control Regulations, assessment and The Catchment Water Management Boards (River
approvals for wastewater systems and reclaimed water Murray, Patawalonga, Torrens, Northern Adelaide and
re-use systems, and support for Local Government in Barossa, Arid Areas, South East, Eyre Peninsula and
the administration of the Public and Environmental Onkaparinga) have three main legislative functions:
Health Act and Regulations. • to prepare and implement Catchment Water
Management Plans;
The River Murray Urban Users (RMUU) Group is a
• to provide advice to the Minister and Councils about
local action planning group addressing natural
water resource management; and
resource management issues in the Murray-Darling
Basin in South Australia, to help to preserve and • to promote awareness and involvement in best
restore the health of the River Murray. The RMUU practice water management.
Group target area is all of the regions outside the
Murray-Darling Basin that receive piped River Catchment Boards may fund or part-fund stormwater
Murray water in South Australia. pollution prevention officers in their areas. For more
information on Catchment Water Management Boards
The Water Conservation Partnership Project (WCPP) visit www.catchments.net.
(1999–2004) was administered by the Department for
Environment and Heritage on behalf of a number of The system of Catchment Management Boards is being
State, Local Government and community revised and will be replaced with Regional Natural
stakeholders. The Project aimed to reduce urban Resource Management (NRM) Boards - which will
dependency on River Murray water in the RMUU produce Natural Resources Management Plans for their
region by increasing water use efficiency and the respective regions. A NRM Reform Unit has been
sustainable use of alternative water supplies. Twelve established by the State Government within the
Local Government and community based pilot water Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity
conservation education and incentive projects and Conservation to implement the NRM Integration
demonstration sites, a symposium and several studies Project. For more details, see
and publications were funded. www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au/nrm_reform/.
Water Proofing Adelaide is a South Australian Local Government
Government initiative that seeks to establish a
blueprint for the management, conservation and The important role of Local Government in promoting
development of Adelaide’s water resources to 2025. sustainability initiatives is acknowledged through the
Adelaide faces several significant issues. The first is Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment,
the escalating risks facing our environment. The River Local Agenda 21 and the following sections of the
Murray, which we rely heavily for our mains water in Local Government Act 1999:
South Australia, is under continued stress as is the
Water Conservation Handbook 9

16. Principal role of Councils
Section 6 (b) outlines Council’s roles to provide and The ICLEI Water Campaign is based on the Local
co-ordinate various public services and facilities, and Government water code known as The Lisbon
to develop its community and resources, in a socially Principles. Further information on the Water Campaign
just and ecologically sustainable manner. is available in Section 7 (on CD).
Functions of Councils
Section 7 (e) outlines Council’s functions to manage, For more information go to www.iclei.org/water.
develop, protect, restore, enhance and conserve the
environment in an ecologically sustainable manner.
Objectives of Councils
Section 8 (d) outlines Council’s objectives to give due
weight in all its plans, policies and activities to
regional, State and national objectives and strategies
concerning the economic, social, physical and
environmental development and management of the
community.
Section 8 (f) outlines Council’s objectives to encourage
sustainable development and the protection of the
environment and to ensure a proper balance within its
community between economic, social, environmental
and cultural considerations.
A Statement of Joint Intent (SOJI) can be used to
support the development of partnerships in Local
Government to undertake water conservation
initiatives. A sample SOJI is included in Section 7.
The International Council of Local Environmental
Initiatives (ICLEI) has developed a new program for
Councils, the ICLEI Water Campaign. ICLEI will build
on the work of the WCPP to facilitate councils
undertaking the ICLEI Water Campaign.
The Water Campaign provides Local
Governments with a framework for addressing
their unique local water management concerns
while contributing to an international effort to
mitigate the current global water crisis. It was
developed in response to the mandate that ICLEI
was given by its membership in 1995 to develop
an international campaign focusing on water.
The Water Campaign focuses on the need to
improve dialogue between water managers and
water users. This dialogue begins with improved
water management within Local Government
itself, and extends to the community and the
watershed area. Improving Local Government
service delivery places value on community input
and participation. This participatory approach to
water management recognises that modern water
management solutions are increasingly non-
technical in their emphasis.
10 Water Conservation Handbook

17. S E C T I O N
Planning for water conservation
3
Introduction First Principle – Avoid
This principle seeks to encourage, where possible, the
This Section provides some guidance on planning your
use of waterless options where they exist. This is
approach to water conservation. If you have the time
achieved through the use of alternative techniques to
and resources, it is best to develop a comprehensive
reduce dependency on reticulated water such as
water conservation plan, including changing Council
sweeping paths and pavements, instead of hosing them,
policies and plans, improving Council operations and
and using dry composting toilets.
undertaking community programs. You can use the
planning framework provided here to develop your
Second Principle – Reduce
plan.
This principle seeks to reduce the amount of water use
If you only have limited time and resources, start with through:
some targeted initiatives that you can build into • water efficient building and garden design which
existing programs. You can use parts of the planning can be achieved through practices such as
framework provided to design these initiatives. appropriate plant selection with preference to local
indigenous species and efficient irrigation practices;
Principles • the efficient use of locally collected and alternative
water supplies, for example collecting and using
The Water Conservation Partnership Project worked
rainwater for irrigation and internal building
with Local Government to develop the five Best
purposes;
Practice Water Conservation Principles. These are
based on the waste management hierarchy (avoid, • the installation of water efficient devices, such as
reduce, re-use, recycle and disposal). Understanding low flow showerheads, dual flush toilets, low flow
the Principles may be useful in developing your taps and front-loading washing machines; and
Council’s approach to water conservation, they are • adopting ‘water conservation management
outlined in Figure 6. practices’ that educate residents and Council staff.
FIGURE 6 The water conservation management hierarchy
AVOID WATER USE
Where possible avoid use of water where waterless options exist
REDUCE WATER USE
Reduce water use through the sustainable use of alternative water supplies
and through reducing the amount of water used from reticulated supply
RECYCLE WATER
Recycling treated wastewater originating from
reticulated supply
DISPOSAL OF WATER
Disposal of un-recycled or untreatable
FEEDBACK AND
wastewater in an appropriate manner
ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT
so as not to cause detrimental
A continuous feedback loop
impact on the receiving
on Council's implementation
environment
of water conservation initiatives
leading to adaptive management
Water Conservation Handbook 11

18. Third Principle – Recycle 1. Developing your approach
This principle seeks to use wastewater or reclaimed
This part of the planning process will determine your
water from one application such as wastewater
overall approach to water conservation.
treatment for another application. When using recycled
water, Councils must ensure that they comply with the What is the context for water conservation
Environment Protection Policy 2003 (Water Quality).
in your Council?
The water conservation initiatives you decide to
Fourth Principle – Disposal
develop and implement will depend on many factors
This principle seeks to ensure that the disposal of water
including the location of your Council, the level of
or treated wastewater that is not recycled or reused
senior management support for water conservation
does not cause degradation of catchment, coastal,
initiatives and the funding available. It is worth
marine or terrestrial environments. This principle
considering your Council’s context by thinking about
should be employed as a last resort.
questions such as:
Feedback and Adaptive Management • is water conservation important in your Council?
Feedback and adaptive management is a continuous • how is water conservation incorporated into existing
approach used by Councils in determining the success Council plans and operations (if at all)?
of implementation of the best practice principles. • are there any specific drivers or anticipated
circumstances that will heighten the importance of
Refer to Section 7 on the CD for a full description of water conservation in your Council?
the Best Practice Water Conservation Principles. • can you realise any synergies between delivering
stated Council objectives (such as Strategic Goals)
The Planning Process and water conservation initiatives?
Developing a plan for your Council’s approach to • how can Council address the different levels of
water conservation will assist you to take a strategic water restriction?
and systematic approach to the business of saving
water. Your plan will help you to gain support for water Some of the drivers for promoting water conservation
conservation initiatives within your Council and the at your Council might include:
community and to achieve the most significant • water supply security and/or reliability;
outcomes possible given your level of resources. A • constraints on water treatment/supply, wastewater
well-developed plan will help to establish shared treatment, peak demand (i.e. the demand for water
expectations, roles and responsibilities and generate on hot, dry days);
ownership.
• flood mitigation through stormwater detention;
It is useful to consider your plan as a ‘living’ • community service (e.g. through the provision of
document. A good plan is reviewed and modified on a information and low-cost products and services to
regular basis and used to report on progress, highlight householders);
successes and identify areas for improvement. • water quality issues;
The following generic planning process is suitable for a • drought response/management; and
comprehensive water conservation plan, but the areas • demonstrating Council’s commitment to sustainable
of emphasis and level of detail that you put into your development.
plan will depend on the size and structure of your
Council, the available funds and human resources and It is valuable to identify where water conservation may
your particular water conservation goals. You may wish link to, or generate benefits for, other programs,
to refer to more specific approaches such as the initiatives or objectives being implemented by your
implementation of the Best Practice Water Council (for example, greenhouse programs, such as
Conservation Principles or the ICLEI Water Campaign. Cities for Climate Protection, community
environmental education programs or infrastructure
upgrades). This will increase both opportunities for
support and funding for water conservation initiatives.
Where will your approach to water conservation within
the Council exist?
12 Water Conservation Handbook

19. You need to decide whether you will develop a 3. Investigation and data
separate water conservation plan or whether you will
integrate water conservation into other Council
collection
planning processes. For example, your approach to This stage of the planning process provides the
water conservation could be integrated into your structure and background that will help you select and
Environmental Management Plan. develop specific programs.
Assess resources Develop an overview of water
At this stage you should make a preliminary conservation initiatives
assessment of the human and financial resources that You can learn a lot from water conservation programs
are likely to be available for Water Conservation Plans that have been undertaken elsewhere. You will find
and initiatives. This is where you can begin to case studies throughout this Handbook and you can use
understand the scope of your plan. your Local Government networks. However, each
Council is unique and you should also investigate what
2. Preliminary approval has already been done within your Council. This will
be important for maintaining your credibility within
This stage of the planning process outlines what you Council.
will need to consider in seeking approval for your
approach to water conservation. Collect data
In planning your approach to water conservation it is
Identify internal partners crucial to understand how much water is used, where,
Developing and implementing water conservation by whom and how. Council water use data is available
initiatives by yourself is hard work. If possible you from SA Water – refer to Section 5 (page 23) for
should identify members of staff to work with. This details. Water data specific to your Council can be
could include, for example: broken down into residential, non-residential and
commercial sectors. The non-residential data includes
• a member of senior management (or an elected
Council, State Government and industrial water use.
member) with a genuine level of commitment to
supporting water conservation initiatives; or
Relevant data to collect might include:
• a cross-functional team of Council staff who can
work with you to develop and implement water • average household usage (indoor and outdoor, or by
conservation initiatives across Council and within end-use);
the community. • Council consumption (buildings, facilities, parks and
grounds);
Create a business case for involvement • population growth and the projected demand for
To obtain approval for developing and implementing water (and possible implications);
your approach to water conservation you may need to • other Council information: demographics, area, etc;
put together a business case for Council senior
• water supply source(s) cost of water, groundwater
management (and elected members) stating the broad
information etc.;
goals of the Water Conservation Plan and the resources
that will be required. • wastewater treatment, recycling, effluent discharges,
water quality, costs; and
Gain approval to proceed • stormwater volumes, infrastructure costs, upgrade
Depending on the scope of your plan you may need requirements etc.
approval and commitment from senior management
(and possibly elected members). This could include: It is important to identify the usage by sector in each
Council, so that the right priorities are targeted. For
• formal approval of staff-time to work on the project; example in the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, two
• initial funding to undertake any investigations thirds of water consumption is by the commercial and
required; and industrial sectors, so education programs focussed
• a commitment to invest in identified projects (within purely on residential use may have minimal impact on
agreed capital costs and returns on investment, water consumption.
where appropriate).
Once you have collected this data you can start to
Without this commitment, initial time and funds may identify water conservation opportunities that will be
be wasted. most effective and give ‘value for money’.
Water Conservation Handbook 13

20. For example, if outdoor water use in your area is high, Select and design water conservation
then a program targeted at this will have the greatest initiatives
potential for saving water. Current consumption data The range of water conservation programs are outlined
may also be necessary for setting and monitoring as follows:
targets.
1. Changing Council plans and policies – refer to
Work with stakeholders Section 4 (page 17 ) for details.
2. Saving water in Council operations – refer to
The value of your plan, and the success of its
Section 5 (page 21) for details.
implementation, will be strengthened by involving the
3. Community programs – refer to Section 6 (page 37)
community and other stakeholders in its development.
for details.
This involvement is the key to capacity building, which
will support, promote, contribute to and sustain your
When reviewing and selecting programs, assess which
Water Conservation Plan. The effort you put into
are most strategic for your Council in terms of:
involving stakeholders will depend on the scope of
your plan. • links to your Strategic/Corporate Plan;
• achieving significant reductions in water use;
It will be important to include some stakeholder groups
• the provision of community services;
directly in the process, while others may just be kept
informed. Potential stakeholders to include in the • establishing partnerships with government bodies
development of your plan are outlined in Table 1. and the private sector; and
• promoting your Council as responsible.
Understanding stakeholders is critical to designing and
implementing appropriate and effective water The most effective Water Conservation Plans are
conservation programs. This involves understanding generally implemented through a variety of program
who will influence the implementation of your Plan, types. If you have limited resources, it is best to focus
their level of understanding, values, perception and on one or two initial programs.
practices in relation to water conservation, and how
you can ensure they support your goals. Gathering
knowledge about your community is explored further
in Section 6.
TABLE 1 Possible stakeholders in water conservation
Staff and elected members Community representatives
• Management, staff and elected members • Local environment groups & branches of
• Finance, corporate support, grounds staff, State/National groups
property and facilities management, • Schools
procurement etc • Education (e.g. TAFE)
• Community groups (e.g. Lions Club, Rotary)
• Catchment groups
Private sector Government bodies
• Council’s contractors • Water suppliers (wholesale and retail) (SA Water)
• Local retailers of water using products (e.g. nurseries, • State Government agencies (Department for
garden supplies & irrigation equipment specialists) Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation etc)
• Hardware retail outlets • Federal Government agencies (Environment
• Electrical retail outlets (e.g. washing machines, Australia, Australian Greenhouse Office etc)
dishwashers) • Catchment Water Management Boards
• Manufacturers / importers of water using
products
• Landscape businesses
• Local builders and developers
• Energy suppliers
14 Water Conservation Handbook

21. CASE STUDY:
Rous Water
Rous Water, a bulk water supplier in northern The program was so successful that some outlets
NSW, initiated a program offering householders a produced their own promotional material,
$150 rebate on the purchase of a water efficient including window displays, or supplemented the
front loading washing machine with an energy offer with additional ‘cash back’ on some brands.
rating of four stars or above. The program was run Since the start of the program there has been
in partnership with the NSW Sustainable Energy interest from both washing machine manufacturers
Development Authority and the local energy and retailers to join the partnership and contribute
provider NorthPower, with each contributing $50 to the rebate. For further information contact John
to the rebate. Local electrical goods retail outlets Rutledge on (02) 6621 8055.
participated in the program.
4. Design 5. Implementation
At this stage of the planning process you can fully This is the important part! Your plan should provide
develop specific water conservation initiatives. you with the steps to follow through the
implementation phase. However, during the
Do a detailed design implementation phase you will most likely need to
Refer to Sections 4, 5 and 6 for details on changing adjust your plan to take advantages of opportunities as
Council policies and plans, improving Council they arise and to manage unforeseen events.
operations and undertaking community programs
respectively. Choose the programs that will suit your Remember that implementing your plan is what you
circumstances and adapt them to the resources and should spend most of your time doing. It is important
context of your Council. to find the right balance between planning and action.
Set targets It is likely that your Council will already have
management systems or processes in place, and you
Targets specific to each initiative may be set. Targets
should integrate your plan with these where possible.
should be SMART:
Specific: clearly state what you aim to achieve.
Manage and review data
Measurable: ensure that the data is available and that
Data management is the most commonly neglected part
systems are in place to manage the data.
of water conservation programs. It is crucial to set up a
Achievable: assess if it is possible to meet the goal
tailored data management system that collects water
with the available resources and timeframe.
use data as it is generated, to monitor the success of
Realistic: set targets that are possible to achieve for the
water conservation initiatives.
type of program you are implementing.
Timely: set a timeframe for achieving each target and
The water use data should be reviewed regularly to:
goal, and monitor on a regular basis.
• ensure that water conservation initiatives that have
Seek formal approval been implemented are meeting their predicted
savings; and
At this stage you may need to seek approval to expend
funds on the delivery of the Water Conservation Plan • identify any unexpected changes in use as this
Plan. You should have enough information by this enables quick rectification if required (for example,
stage to provide costs, benefits and a detailed plan. You if there are system leaks).
may also be able to apply for external funding through
the Office of Local Government, Local Government When analysing water use data, you will need to take
Association, National Heritage Trust, Community climate variability and varied usage patterns into
Development Grants, Catchment Water Management account. Water savings may not be reflected initially in
Boards (or NRM Boards) etc. the water use data. For example, if you implement
water saving initiatives during an unusually hot year
(as in 2002), consumption may appear to increase
when water is still being saved relatively speaking
Water Conservation Handbook 15

22. because consumption would have been even higher if There are several ways to assess the effectiveness of
you had done nothing. It is possible to correct your water conservation programs, including:
data for climate and usage variations, but this is not
• surveys, questionnaires and feedback forms;
straightforward and you should seek professional
assistance if this is of interest to you. • statistical analysis;
• cost-benefit analysis;
It is crucial to manage your data well (both in terms of • participation (or uptake) rates; and
water and budgets) in order to demonstrate savings to • the amount of positive publicity received.
management and elected members.
It is critical to identify early in the planning process
Manage roles and responsibilities what information or data will need to be collected or
To generate shared expectations and ownership it is maintained in order to monitor the effectiveness of
important to define the roles and responsibilities of programs. It is better to gather more information than
Council staff and management, and other stakeholders less, as it is often impossible to collect it after the
involved in your Water Conservation Plan. Defining program has finished.
roles and responsibilities also strengthens commitment
through a sense of accountability. Celebrate! And communicate your success
In conducting programs for water conservation, it is
Communication is crucial important to celebrate your successes.
Regular updates should be provided to management,
elected members, staff, stakeholders and the Communicate the success of your programs through
community to inform them about progress. These Council internal and external processes, for example:
updates can go beyond reports and be in the form of
• Council internal newsletters or via an internal email;
staff training and site visits.
• at a Council meeting or committee meeting (for
When addressing communication issues, consider not example, the environment committee);
only what information needs to be communicated, but • Council’s state of the environment report (if you
also the audience, the most appropriate communication have one);
media (e.g. newsletters, email) and necessary frequency. • meetings with managers and/or directors;
• your Council’s page in local newspapers;
6. Review – monitoring and • on Council’s web page;
evaluation • at Council stalls at festivals and fairs; and
Monitoring your plan and individual programs is • public events with the media (for example, when
essential to ensure you are on track to meeting goals new rainwater tanks are installed in community
and targets. It ensures that all the hard work of facilities).
designing and implementing water conservation
initiatives is generating benefits, as well as providing You could also ask any stakeholders, sponsors or
an opportunity to fine-tune and improve programs. In community groups to include information on the
some instances, particularly for larger, more costly program in their newsletters and publications as well as
programs, it may be appropriate to seek an independent, display information in libraries and customer service
specialist evaluation. centres.
Program evaluation can be used to:
• influence elected members, senior management and
other Council staff, and funding bodies;
• build community capacity and engage communities;
• communicate about your successes or failures;
• ensure accountability for your work; and
• reflect on and improve the program.
Plan your evaluation and monitoring at the outset,
otherwise you may not be able to get the data or
information you need.
16 Water Conservation Handbook

23. S E C T I O N
Changing Council policies
4
and plans
Introduction Regular reviews of Councils’ Development Plans are
required to be undertaken, via ‘Section 30 Reviews’
One of the most effective mechanisms to achieve and under the Development Act 1993. Councils can prepare
promote water conservation outcomes in the broader Plan Amendment Reports (PARs) to update or amend
community is via the various regulatory, planning and each Plan, based on detailed investigations and
policy tools that Councils are responsible for consultations with the broad community. Where it is
developing and administering. Water conservation can identified that water conservation has become an issue
be integrated into existing frameworks through to be incorporated into planning policy, each Council
Strategic Management Plans, Development Plans and can, via a PAR, include appropriate planning
internal policies and operations. provisions in its Plan to promote or mandate particular
water conservation strategies that are appropriate for its
Understanding your Council’s corporate and Council area. These provisions can then be applied to
community water consumption, relevant legislation, new developments in the Council area. Encouraging
demographics and community opinion will help you to water sensitive urban design is an important issue for
provide justification for changes to your Council’s Local Government.
policies and plans.
Planning provisions to reduce water (and energy)
Figure 7 on page 20 depicts a typical Council Strategic consumption through the planning and regulatory
and Policy structure. It may be useful to draw this framework may include requiring or encouraging well-
diagram for your organisation and consider the changes designed rainwater collection systems in new
necessary to facilitate water conservation. developments, and requiring existing buildings that are
being renovated to be fitted with water efficient
Strategic Management Plans devices. The Building Code of Australia is also an
important tool, particularly regarding the provision of
All Councils are required by the Local Government Act water efficient fittings in new buildings, such as the
1999 to prepare Strategic Management Plans, that standard requirement for dual flush toilets.
should provide direction and accountability in Council
achieving its functions and responsibilities under the The State Government can prepare a Ministerial PAR
Act. These functions include ‘to manage, develop, that will, on adoption, be applied to all or selected
protect, restore, enhance and conserve the environment Council Development Plans in a synchronised way
in an ecologically sustainable manner’, and to ‘seek to across the State.
facilitate sustainable development and the protection of
the environment’. Environmental and natural resource CASE STUDY:
management issues (including water conservation) are Marrickville City Council (NSW)
now a core statutory focus for Councils, and should be
reflected in Council’s strategic planning processes and Marrickville Development Control Plan No 32 –
documents. Energy Smart Water Wise contains requirements
for energy and water efficiency in both new
Councils also prepare profession-specific strategic developments and in alterations and additions
management plans, which can include water to existing buildings. The main water efficiency
conservation considerations. controls are dual flush toilets and AAA rated
water fixtures. A Comprehensive Water Cycle
Development Plans Assessment and a Water Efficient Landscaping
Assessment are required for major
Councils administer urban planning policies and developments. For further information refer to
regulate development through reference to a Section 7 on CD.
Development Plan that is prepared for each Council
area.
Water Conservation Handbook 17

24. Water conservation strategies that are appropriate to
CASE STUDY:
Council could therefore be implemented via a
South Australia
Ministerial PAR. Local Government can collaborate
with the State Government (Planning SA) to develop Permanent water restrictions in South Australia
Ministerial PARs to address the issue on a regional or were enacted on 26 October 2003 and predicted
State-wide basis, as well as amending its own to result in a maximum reduction of 20% of
Development Plan to reflect the particular needs and water use across the board (including irrigators,
opportunities of its Council area. industry, residential and government). There will
be four levels of restriction addressing:
Internal policies and procedures • private gardens, lawns, paved areas, sports
Councils can integrate water conservation into day-to- grounds and recreation areas;
day business through altering internal policies and • fountains, ponds, pools and spas;
procedures to incorporate water conservation. • vehicle washing, building development and
construction activities; and
For example, water conservation considerations can be • farm dams and rainwater tanks, commercial
incorporated into Purchasing and Procurement Policies nurseries, garden centres and poultry sheds.
and Standard Operating Procedures.
SA Water has begun a community education
Alterations to the Purchasing and Procurement Policy program and the level of restrictions will be
can reduce the environmental impacts of goods and determined based on seasonal variations in
services purchased by Council. Some Councils include demand, river levels and rainfall. Refer to
an overall environment statement within this policy, www.sawater.com.au/restrictions/index.html.
referring to a number of key outcomes such as water
conservation, pollution prevention, minimising and
recycling wastes and minimising greenhouse gas CASE STUDY:
emissions. For example, changes to this policy may Barwon Water
lead to your road reconstruction contractor using
machinery that vacuums up and recycles the water used Barwon Water is the first Victorian water
in the wet saw road cutting process. The more specific authority to introduce a Water Conservation By­
you can be about how environmental impacts are to be law, which came into effect from 1 February
minimised the better. 2003. Eighteen months community consultation
into the future of the region's water supply
Standard Operating Procedures are the procedures preceded the by-law’s introduction. Throughout
written to govern many Council activities. These were the consultation process there was
often written initially due to the need to make overwhelming support for water conservation.
procedures clear for new staff members and/or the need The by-law is a permanent measure to conserve
to protect staff from Occupational Health Safety and water now and for future generations. It
Welfare risks. These procedures may be changed to involves restrictions on watering gardens,
incorporate water conservation outcomes. For example, cleaning vehicles, cleaning driveways and paths
an irrigation procedure may be altered so that and construction activities. For further details
sprinklers are only operated between certain times. refer to Section 7 on CD.
Obviously these changes should only be made in
consultation with the relevant managers and staff. To Stormwater Infrastructure Planning
change these procedures in a systematic, holistic, Councils are largely responsible for the planning,
environmental way some Councils have chosen to development and maintenance of stormwater
undertake an Environmental Management System. infrastructure within their areas. There are
opportunities to incorporate water conservation into the
Once you have established good practices, altering planning for new infrastructure, and in the ongoing
policies and procedures to reflect this is a good way to upgrades and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure.
ensure that water conservation gains are maintained. Where greenfield development is occurring
(land that has previously been undeveloped or has been
Stormwater used for agricultural purposes) there are enormous
opportunities for Councils to work with developers in
Stormwater is a key area for Council action with regard designing stormwater master plans that allow both
to water conservation. stormwater management, and water collection and
harvesting ( if site conditions allow).
18 Water Conservation Handbook

25. The 2002 Ministerial PAR for Stormwater CASE STUDY:
and related documents Urban Stormwater Master Plans
Planning SA has prepared a Stormwater Infrastructure
Planning package to promote an integrated approach to The Cities of Port Adelaide Enfield, Charles Sturt
catchment management. The package includes: and Prospect, supported by the Torrens
Catchment Water Management Board, are
• Planning Bulletin: Urban Stormwater Infrastructure developing detailed integrated Urban
to assist Councils in the process of policy Stormwater Master Plans during 2002–05 for
development at the level of zone or policy area by each of the 23 independent water sub-
raising awareness and generating debate among catchments in the north-west Adelaide region.
stakeholders on catchment water management policy These will include investigations and the
issues; identification of opportunities regarding the
• Guidelines for Urban Stormwater Management; and best mix of planning, engineering and
• Draft Minister's Specification: On-Site Retention of environmental policies and strategies in each
Stormwater which is a technical standard to provide sub-catchment to achieve a range of desired
cost effective technical solutions to the requirements outcomes, including improved water quality and
for on-site retention and detention of stormwater. conservation. For further information contact
Verity Sanders (08) 8405 6765.
Councils located wholly or partly within the catchment
areas of the Patawalonga and the Torrens Catchment
Water Management Boards are also affected by the
Stormwater in Urban Areas Plan Amendment
(November, 2002). This Plan Amendment Report
provides a development assessment framework to
facilitate appropriate management of stormwater, and
includes some broad principles regarding water
conservation.
The PAR has been incorporated into the relevant
Development Plans. For more information, the
resources listed above can be accessed from Planning
SA’s website at www.planning.sa.gov.au/publications
or you can contact Malcolm Govett at Planning SA by
telephone (08) 8204 8394 or email
govett.malcolm@saugov.sa. gov.au.
The State Government’s Guidelines for Urban
Stormwater Management include the recommendation
for Councils to prepare Urban Stormwater Master plans
which would allow the integration of stormwater
infrastructure planning, urban land use plannin, and
environmental planning into a single long term Plan.
Water Conservation Handbook 19

26. FIGURE 7 Council policies and plans related to water management
Built Environment and Environmental Design Development Approvals and Control
Policy Planners, Environment Planners or Strategic Assessments staff
Planning staff
Require water conservation measures in new
Negotiation with major developers at Master Planning developments or modifications (if specified in the
stage regarding water conservation opportunities to be Development Plan)
incorporated into major developments
Local Environment Strategy (LES)
Local Environmental Plan (LEP)
Both LESs and LEPs can include provisions for water
conservation
Council Management Plan and Budget Technical or Engineering Planning
Aims and funding related to water conservation should Infrastructure and Asset Plans
be included in your management plan and budget Can incorporate water conservation into infrastructure
design and construction
Allocate funding for a water demand management
strategy or other major works
Reducing water use in Council operations will save the Parks and Gardens
council money
Outdoor staff
Parks plans of management
Social/Community Plan Incorporate water conservation measures into parks
plans of management
Social planners
Teach outdoor staff about water conserving practices
Community education or community cultural
development programs about water conservation can
be undertaken with the assistance of social planners
and officers, e.g. youth officer
Natural Environment State of the Environment Reporting
Environment staff Councils can report on water conservation activities in
their state of the environment report
Environment Management Systems (EMS)
Water conservation measures should be part of any
Council’s EMS
Community education programs
Environment officers can plan and implement
community education programs about water
conservation
20 Water Conservation Handbook