In the hotter months, watch your water use

LET’S face it; we are all feeling the heat at the moment, with a heatwave having already struck us this early into summer. As much as we’d love to take the edge of the heat off our gardens, Goulburn Valley Water is urging residents to be cautious of water consumption.

Permanent Water Saving Rules (PWSR) are in place throughout the year to encourage water efficiency and smart water use around the home.

Many towns across the Goulburn Valley received less than half of their average October and November rainfall, and the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a warmer than average summer for Northern Victoria.

GVW’s water usage data shows consumption last summer spiked in January across the region, with a total of 3,398 megalitres (ML), compared to 2,728ML in December and 2,964ML in February.

GVW operations manager, Steven Nash said, “Following the PWSR ensures we can help manage water sustainably for the future.

“Watering your garden in the evening or early morning helps reduce water lost to evaporation and maximises absorption and using a trigger nozzle on your hose helps control the flow of water if you’re watering your garden with a hand-held hose.”

Penalties do apply if you’re found to be breaching the PWSR. People can report breaches on 1800 454 500.

 

The key rules are:

  • Sprinklers can be used after 6pm or before 10am
  • Handheld hoses can be used any time if a trigger nozzle is attached
  • Brooms or blowers must be used to clean hard surfaces.