1. Sustainability Program for Community Housing Organisations Compass Housing Services This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Energy Efficiency Training Program

2. Copyright and disclaimer The Office of Environment and Heritage and the State of NSW are pleased to allow this material to be used, reproduced and adapted, provided the meaning is unchanged and its source, publisher and authorship are acknowledged. The Office of Environment and Heritage has made all reasonable effort to ensure that the contents of this document are factual and free of error. However, the State of NSW and the Office of Environment and Heritage shall not be liable for any damage which may occur in relation to any person taking action or not on the basis of this document. Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of Premier and Cabinet Phone: (02) 9995 5000 (switchboard) Email: info@environment.nsw.gov.au Website: www.environment.nsw.gov.au 2

3. Water- conservation and usage Civilisations build themselves around access to water Water is a finite natural resource that we need every day!

4. Water- conservation and usage

5. Water usage- guiding principles Reduce demand- this is much more efficient than creating infrastructure to supply water. Reduce stormwater runoff, and collect it. Re-use and recycle- It is possible to re-use grey-water in some cases- Usually it is OK to use washing machine water in the garden directly, but not stored. Seek advice from local council authority for guidelines. All stored grey-water must be treated.

6. 6 Current unsustainable water cycle

7. 7 A more sustainable water cycle

8. Water, free from the sky….. we should collect it. surface area Litres of rainwater/year = X yearly rainfall General notes: 1 cubic decimetre= l litre volume. 1 square metre= 100 square decimetres Yearly rainfall Newcastle = (1120mm) 11.2 decimetres Activity. Calculate the volume of water your own roof could collect/ year

9. Litres per person Activity: an exercise to put things in perspective, and understanding water resources. It will assist individuals with water planning and assessment issues at home and for Compass clients Using your own house water rate examples, Calculate usage / day/ person Availability / day if collection of rainwater is feasible? A surplus or shortfall.? (Hunter Water Average. Around 200 Kilolitres/ year/ house. 105 Litres/ day/ person. (2000) WSAA)

10. How much does a household need? A recent study of 400 households* revealed a range of results: Daily per-person water usage: Example 11100 litres/ day (Toukley) Example 251 litres/ day (Brooklyn and Woy Woy) Consider the levels of sustainability, in the given detailed examples None of the houses had rain water collection Both the lower use houses had plans to install in near future. Upon observation and discussion, ex.2 were very happy with lifestyles and bills, while ex.1 was happy, yet unconcerned with the bill.

11. Water planning Water rates are low at the moment, but likely to increase substantially over time Water efficiency is a crucial task as future climate is likely to be more unstable. Many places have plenty available space for water tanks Many homeowners with tanks say they should have gotten a larger one* The larger the storage, the better, between rain periods. A guideline would be to install 5000 litres as standard.

12. A rough guide to current water usage. If tanks were installed, how might chart shape alter? Ashfield, NSW

13. Showers- The water and energy saving potential is large…. water flow per minute? Comfort quality of flow Worth spending time to research for the right unit. Money spent on good quality low flow units rapidly recovered. A good showerhead is a mobile item, and a great energy saver for renters.

14. Hunter Water is providing rebates on water saving devices. Hunter Water offer shower and toilet rebates including premium quality `Methven 'Satinjet' shower heads at heavily discounted prices (ie selling at $40 when the retail price is $150 - $200) http://www.hunterwater.com.au/Save-Water/Save-Water-Initiatives/Home-Retrofit- Program.aspx or Phone 1300657657 This applies to all houses in the Hunter Water supply region.

15. Flow Rates Activity Items: Kitchen jug, with litres marked Watch / timer Turn on shower to normal flow rate. Catch the water in the jug for 10 seconds Measure litres Multiply by 6 to make up a minute = flow rate in litres/ minute

16. Some figures… Old or standard showerheads can use up to 20 litres/ min 116 000 litres/ year, 4 people. Good shower experiences can be had at a flow rate of 5 litres/ minute. 29 200 litres year, 4 people A 4 minute shower is the standard promotion, (and is used for this calculation)

17. Behaviour Change Some ideas to assist with shower times. Activity: There are many habits related to water saving… what are the others? Shower experiences are personal, and often hedonistic and perhaps the hardest thing to change

18. Toilets - an enormous water saving potential Low use Very low use Zero water use

19. Tapware Low-flow aerators in tapware save large quantities of water Check all taps to see if there are aerators fitted. WELS ratings also apply to tapware

20. 20 Mixer taps- hot / cold

21. In The Garden. Use plants which are adapted to the local conditions Local endemic native species are perfect Always lay thick mulch around small plants to minimise watering requirements Mulch may be compost, wood chips or lawn clippings.

22. Appliances and Water Key attributes to look for Effectiveness Efficiency of water use Often, machines that are water efficient are also energy efficient Quality, and efficiency in both energy and water cost less in the long term.

23. Washing machines Larger machines, used less often use less water and energy than smaller machines used more often.

24. Dishwashers Generally accepted that they use less water than handwashing…. If- a water efficient model is used. Use when full to achieve efficiency. (but set timer to run overnight if TOU metering)

25. Water checklist. Look at all water fittings and hoses to check if water is leaking. Toilets- food colouring can be useful if poured into cistern Outdoor taps- often new washers can fix leaks Indoor taps Showers “One drop per second equals 7000 litres of water wasted per year.” *

26. Take a Break