Features
Ups and downs in water usage
Bill Hoffman* 15th December 2009
The Pashley family, Jay and Debbie with their children Alice, 13, and Grace, 16, are keeping their water use to a minimum.
SOME are confounded by how little they use, others have learnt where to cut down, but none of those taking part in the Sunshine Coast Daily Great Water Challenge come close to the volumes Queensland Water Commission says Sunshine Coast residents consumed every day last week.
Latest figures released by the commission put Coast usage at 258 litres per person per day, still well above Target 200, but significantly less than the 311 litres it was claimed we used three weeks ago and 17 litres per person less than used the previous week.
Maleny, where water is being trucked in to maintain levels in the town weir, reduced its usage from 225 litres to 216, and on the Gold Coast volumes dropped from 249 litres to 220.
However, Brisbane’s use was up from 160 to 177 litres and Redland climbed from 240 to 251.
That left the south-east Queensland average at 197 litres a day, up from 192 the previous week.
Sunshine Coast Daily features editor Shirley Sinclair double-checked the meter reading at her family of four’s Wurtulla home after recording just 110 litres total use per day during the past five days.
The family doesn’t water the native garden and the herbs only get a splash when the dog’s bowl is being filled.
The 110 litre total means a daily average consumption of just over 27 litres a day. That’s frugal.
The family has been inspired to investigate how to lower its electricity consumption, now a source of some financial pain.
North Shore Traders Association president Jay Pashley and wife Debbie have two teenage daughters and some decisions to make.
Their per-head daily consumption has averaged 223 litres, still above the Target 200 levels but well below the Coast average.
Jay said a house full of family Christmas visitors last weekend, and a need to spruce up the lawn of their Mount Coolum Shores home, had contributed to the total.
“On a normal day though we are well under the mark,” Jay said.
Communities Against Desalination campaigner Debbie Johnson switched off access to tank water flushes for toilets in the home and attached office for the first week of our challenge to see just what impact it had on water consumption.
However, even then her highest daily reading has been just over 600 litres for a family of four plus another five office staff using toilets in her attached business premises.
Permanent Water Conservation Measures began on December 1, bringing areas previously not on restrictions on to standard restrictions for the first time.
The restrictions allow for the watering of gardens and lawns every day except Monday.
Watering outdoors is also banned in the heat of the day between 10am and 4pm.
QWC spokesman Gerald Tooth said Sunshine Coast residents had shown an improvement in conserving water.
“Before the drought, daily regional average water consumption was above 300 litres per person, but residents responded and they drove down that figure to below 140 litres,” he said of the impact of water restrictions on Brisbane consumers.
“This was achieved without major impacts on lifestyle or the economy.”
- For the record, usage in the home of the writer’s family of three has averaged 102 litres a head each day during the past five days.
The restrictions...
Gardens and lawns cannot be watered between 10am and 4pm when evaporation is at its highest.
Outside these hours, gardens and lawns can be watered using a hand-held trigger nozzle hose or an efficient irrigation system defined in the new guidelines;
Use efficient methods like a hand-held trigger nozzle hose or high pressure cleaner to clean vehicles, buildings and equipment;
Fill new swimming pools and spas with reticulated (town) water, but efficiency measures will continue to apply when topping up pools and spas.
All water use activities should be managed within the Target 200 limit.
Source: Queensland Water Commission website
Read more about the dismissed Traveston dam.Read more about desalination plants.
For further information visit the Queensland Water Commission website or the Sunshine Coast Regional Council water restriction page.
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Recent comments on this article
No doubt people can get their usage down, well below the 200 litres. Most people on tank water do it all the time. Brisbane residents have already shown us how and it has been emulated by those mentioned in your story. Average usage takes into account all users, however, and there is the rub. On Sunday I witnessed a fairly ordinary bit of behaviour in Bunnings Maroochydore. A lady in a Green t-shirt was handing out information on the water restrictions to the assembled throng. Left in her wake were several irate people claiming that they could see no reason why they should ration water just because Brisbane steals it all. One guy was there and he entered the argument explaining that there was limit to how much went to the water grid. He, the voice of sensibility and informed opinion, was howled down. Very Average.
Must be all the Holiday makers coming in and wasting our water.
Maybe, SCCouncil should turn off the park and beach showers.
Keeping an eye on your water consumption should be something everybody does. Don't just think you are being responsible, pay attention to your bills and check your water meter to make sure your usage is in line with your expectations.
The reason I say this is because of an incident I have become aware of regarding a solar hot water system that was installed by a Maroochydore-based solar and insulation company to a nearby home. The installation and/or materials were not up to standard and the residents are now looking at a HUGELY inflated water bill because of THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of litres leaking from the unit and going down the drain.
Have a very early walk around Marcoola and listen to the automatic watering systems operating in both households and holiday units.
You would think those people would have some incentive to save water.
the voice of ignorance is always louder than the sound of common sences....
I think there's something in that for all of us.
People reading their water meters and being frugal is one thing - a good thing - but we continue to look ONLY at the 30% (approx) of usage which is residential and swallow only the figures that QWC (exempt from freedom of information) give us. Why?
QWC says on their site, "Across South East Queensland business, industry and government agencies account for around 30% of our region’s water use", and we already know that the other 40% (approx) is agricultural.
So why do we collectively and The Daily continue to ignore a full 70% of water usage?
Not to mention the undeniably huge impact that tourism must have - especially at this time of year!
I ask yet again - what percentage of water use is residential and what percentage is non-residential on the SC?
It seems that we can be given every other minute figure and measurement - but not this one - essential for any measurements to be made whatsoever.
What is so secret about this simple figure?
70/30 is a good, educated guess - but what if it's more - like 80/20?
Over the holidays, right now, it's anyone's guess. The figures we are given are shonky at best.
My family's water usage is at 131 litres. My garden is green and beauiful and filled with birds!
I NEVER water it. After a few million years of evolution those local natives are happy to wait for nature to shout the next drinks. It really is that easy....
I would like to ask "Bill Hoffman" if he could publish a list of restrictions that apply to commercial premises such as shops and accommodation houses.
Here in Noosa Heads almost every morning we still see the Ice Cream shop on the main corner washing the footpaths down, and several of the resorts using hoses to wash down the paved areas around their pools.
It seems like one rule for the residents in their homes and another for the wealthy people who own these premises.
Could you also publish the contact details of where we can report the people who continually waste our water.
Brian
Well said pescadero. I have just completed a new house and have no lawn to maintain and have planted native and mulched gardens which if we do decide to water is done out of the rainwater tank. Could do with some more rain to fill it though
Noosafox, maybe there is a different set of rules for Noosa Someone should show them how to operate a broom instead
When reading these comments , I often wonder who is on the propaganda payroll.
You are to be commended for your family's frugal use of water .
However , it is not "really that easy " for all coast residents .
At my place , a 9 litre plastic bucket takes approximately 32 secs to fill .So by my calculations , your family turns the tap on for a total of 7 minutes daily .
I sympathise with the poor single pensioner , who has at great expense over many years carefully nurtured a lawn and garden of predominantly non native species. To many , the simple pleasure and accompanying health benefits of watering the garden is now denied as they have to bathe , wash clothes and water gardens in 12 minutes daily on average .
Or are they , at considerable expense , supposed to rip up existing lawns and gardens and plant only bland xerophytic native specimens , of which many have only a short lifespan as they succumb to the profilic number of NATIVE pests ?
Another water waster that people may overlook is the hot water system. We discovered that ours was leaking quite a lot. Replacing the damaged system not only saves us water, but we noticed the difference in the electricity bill too!
I also don't empty half-finished water bottles and glasses of water down the sink. Use them to water plants, in the washing up water instead of using the cold tap, for cleaning, topping up the dog and cat bowls, the windscreen washer in the car... the list goes on!
And realisticpaul - not such a silly idea. I could be wrong, but I do believe the beach showers have been turned off before?
Ferdie, just be careful who your installer was. (have a look at my earlier post)
After showering or running your dishwasher (or something similar) check your downpipes/outlets to see if they are leaking water. Alternatively, get on the roof and ensure there is no water run-off from an improperly installed system (if it also has solar heating).
Also, when you get your next water rates notice, compare the usage in the current period to previous periods to ensure you have not 'lost' a lot inexplicably.