Burke Shire’sWater Wise Future

Background• Following professional and community

consultation, Council resolved to change Burke Shire’s water rating system at the Ordinary Meeting on June 19th 2014

• This was done because of a combination of legal, environmental and financial factors

BackgroundLegal Factors: Local Government Regulation (2012)Section 101 (2) requires Council to charge:

(b) - if the water used is measured by a water meter• an amount for each unit, or part of a unit, of water that is used; or• a fixed amount plus an amount for each unit, or part of a unit, of

water that is used over a stated quantityAdditionally, Section 41 dictates that Council:

(d) apply full cost recovery for water and sewerage services

The old rating system failed to meet either of these legal requirements

BackgroundEnvironmental Factors:• Because water use has only been loosely monitored up to this point, and

no incentive has been provided to conserve water, find hidden leaks or examine and replace faulty meters, large volumes have been wasted

• Even though Burke Shire is quite lucky to be in a catchment area that provides continual access to fresh water, as we grow as a Shire, the effects of this wastage would be magnified

• It takes energy and chemicals to treat our water, so these inputs too are wasted along with the water itself

BackgroundFinancial Factors:• As previous mentioned, Council has a legislative obligation to recover

costs for water treatment• Because of the small population and relatively high costs related to water

treatment, full cost recovery is unlikely, but efforts need to be made to reduce losses – as Council would rather spend ratepayers money on enhancing the Shire than wasted water

• In addition to the new rating system, Council is undergoing several other changes to reduce the costs of water treatment and reduce their own water usage

How Rates Are ChargedThe new system works as follows:

The access charge entitles you to 900kL of water at no extra charge. For every kilolitre over 900 and up to 2000 you will pay $0.41/kL, and for every kilolitre over 2000 you will pay $0.71/kL.

Category Description Access Charge ALL CATEGORIESA1 Residential $850 Usage (kL) Cost/kLA2 Paddocks $1,250 <900 0A3 Commercial, Parks, Reserves $3,250 900-2000 $0.41A4 QLD Gov’t (Clinic, School) $6,250 >2000 $0.71

Quick Facts About The New Scheme• In QLD, the average water consumption in 2011-12 was 739kL (ABS)

– Any residential property in Burke Shire using less than 1095kL/year will pay less than they did under the old scheme

– Based on past usage, that is about two-thirds of property owners– The allowance was made generous because Council does not want to

discourage residents from looking after their gardens• In QLD, the average household water charge in 2011-12 was $2.95/kl

(ABS)– Based on past usage, it will cost around $0.98/kL for Burke Shire households

• To help with the introduction of the new scheme, Council is undertaking several initiatives to help residents better understand and manage their water use

Council Initiatives• Free water consumption for the month of July

– To give everyone time to look at their usage and fix any issues, your water consumption for the 2014/15 financial year will only count from 1 August 2014

• Education sessions, like this one• Water-wise resources on the Burke Shire Council Website

– For people who can’t make it to these sessions, or want additional information, a number of resources will be freely available on the Council website

• Free In-Home Water-Wise Checks– Council will be offering free water audits; during these Council officers will show you

how to find and read your meter, help you with identifying any concealed leaks, as well as fixing minor leaks around your home and identifying any larger leaks or issues you may have so you can address them

Council InitiativesIn addition to support for ratepayers, Council is looking at number of water- and cost-saving internal programs, including:• Switching from chlorine- to salt-based water treatment to reduce costs

and produce better quality water• Solar power for Gregory Water Treatment Plant, which could save

$100,000/year on diesel• Tighter scheduling of park sprinklers to reduce the amount of water

needed to keep our public spaces green• Locating and repairing known leaks in Council water infrastructure• Improved management procedures for water pump operation

Water Wise TipsChecking Your Meter• Your meter will generally be located outside in the ground towards the

front of the your property. Most are at or below ground level and have a metal or plastic lid.

• There are several different kinds of water meter available; all have a combination of black and red number and/or dials.

• The black numbers register kilolitres (kL = a thousand litres). There are then three red numbers or dials showing litres (if you have a fourth red number of dial, this shows tenths of litres). The numbers are read from left to right and the dials are read in a clockwise direction.

Water Wise Tips

Water Wise TipsDetecting Hidden Leaks With Your Water Meter• Turn of all taps tightly and ensure nobody will be using any water on the

property for the next hour• Find your water meter and write down the numbers shown• After an hour, check the reading. If the numbers have changed, you may

have a leak• If it appears there may be a leak, the first item to check is the toilets. Turn

off the water valves under each toilet, then repeat the first three steps• If the numbers haven’t changed, you may have a leaking toilet. To check

this, put a little food dye in the cistern. If, without flushing, the colouring appears in the bowl, the cistern needs to be repaired. (After the test, flush your toilet twice so that the food colouring doesn’t stain)

• If the numbers have increased again, there is a leak elsewhere on your property. For further investigation, contact a licenced plumber.

Water Wise Tips• Only water the yard early in the morning or in the evenings/at night• You don’t need to water every day, every few days is ample• Don’t over-water; use a timer if you can• Try to avoid watering when it is very windy – a lot of the water will

evaporate or blow away• Switch to a wobble-head or similar water-saving sprinkler• Mulch your gardens to avoid losing too much water through evaporation• Set your mower’s cutting height to 3cm or higher to avoid cutting your

lawn too short, this will reduce the amount of water you need to keep your grass nice and green

• Wash the car using a bucket of water rather than the hose– If you’re able, wash the car over the lawn rather than on concrete or bitumen

• Sweep or rake outdoor paths to clean them, rather than hosing them off

Water Wise Tips• A slowly leaking toilet can waste 60kL a year

– A hissing sound or ripples in the bowl could be signs of a leak• A running tap uses about 16 litres every minute (nearly 1kL/hour)

– Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth– Put a little bit of warm water in the sink to rinse your razor, rather than running the tap

when you shave– Part-fill the sink when rinsing dishes or washing fruit and vegies

• When possible, wait until you have a full load of washing to do, rather than doing multiple small loads – this cuts down on detergent use too

• If you notice a leaky tap, fix it as soon as you can; a slowly leaking tap can waste over 9,000 litres (9kL) in a year, and the solution is often as simple as replacing a 10-cent washer

• When you buy new taps, shower heads and washing machines, consider purchasing water-saving options; spending an extra few dollars here can save you hundreds over time. Look for the Watermark logo on tap-ware and compare water efficiency star ratings on appliances