January 2010

Queensland Urban Utilities is the name of the new water and wastewater business which will provide services to the cities and townships of five council regions in South East Queensland - Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and Somerset.

From July 2010 the new water business will be jointly owned by all five Councils.

November 09

Blacktown City Council in western Sydney recently installed the largest CDS® gross pollutant trap yet manufactured by Rocla, as part of its comprehensive stormwater management program. Designing twin CDS® Units into the project provided the consultants and project managers, Water Conservation Group, with the flexibility to implement the project in stages.  more info

October 09

Water for the Future - Australian Government providing $254.8 million over 5 years to cities and towns with fewer than 50,000 people to upgrade older pipes and water systems, install new infrastructure and practical projects to save water and reduce water losses

September 09

Salisbury Council are producing bottles of purified stormwater for the community to sample, sourced from Salisbury wetlands on the northern Adelaide plains.  Marketed as ‘Recharge’, it has met health standards so far but requires more testing before it can go to market and become a valuable, energy efficient resource for the region.

A new Cooling Tower Water Efficiency Calculator (CTWEC) has been launched to provide businesses with an ongoing indication of the water efficiency of their cooling tower relative to its operational capabilities at different times of the year. see story

DIY water harvesting -- The 2009 Rainwater Guide, developed by the Australian Rainwater Industry Development Group (ARID)  see story

August 2009

Vales Point power station at Lake Macquarie has recently come under fire for using drinking-quality water, but owner Delta Electricity claims it has little choice because of limited availability of recycled water. The solution, environment groups argue, is to develop NSW’s fledgling recycled water market and increase the price of drinking water for its big buyers. see story

July 2009

Large Scale Recycled Water Projects too costly:  Victoria.

June 2009

Water Conservation Group congratulates the winners of the 2009 Queensland Sustainable Industries Awards!

Outstanding water wise business leadership was seen at Queensland’s premiere sustainability industry event on 12 June. Some of the winners included;

 Mitchell Enviro Industrial Estate (Industrial Eco-efficiency award): The estate has pioneered water wise development with a rain water collection and treatment system for drinking supplies. The estate also has grid connected Solar and a range of other sustainability features.

 Queensland Complete Printing Services (Corporate Sustainability Award): Queensland Complete Printing harvests all water from rain water for its printing needs. They use soy based inks, operate using 100% green power and recycle more than 95% of their waste.

Cooee DustBloc (Innovation in Sustainable Technology Award): Cooee have developed an environmentally friendly bitumen water blend that can be applied to roads at mine sites to control dust, greatly reducing the amount of water needed for dust suppression.

Remember to register your businesses to be in the running for next years premiere sustainability awards night. Contact Water Conservation Group for more information.

By 2015, 70% of Melbourne’s wastewater should be recycled and the Victorian Government needs to eventually move toward 100%, prohibiting wastewater discharge into the sea or waterways.  see Story

May 2009

Recycled water threatens to push up Australia's greenhouse emissions

Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) has highlighted the environmental catch-22 of recycled water and that it is "imperative" that recycled water should be supplied without the need for long pipelines and large-scale pumping. See Story

Cost of water tipped to rise by 100%

Southeast Queensland and Sydney’s dams are now at 73 and 58 % capacity respectively. However, southern Australia still remains very dry. In response to this crisis Governments Australia wide will invest more than $30 billion to secure new water supplies. Accordingly water prices are set to increase by 50-100 % in 5 years to cover the costs - See story

Both these drivers highlight the benefits of investing in water conservation now to cut costs and manage risk. Contact Water Conservation Group today to help your business reduce your ‘wet’ print.

World Water Week 16-22 August 2009 - Stockholm. Theme for 2009: Responding to Global Changes - Accessing Water for the Common Good.  Discounted early registration now open.

NSW Green Globe Awards
Nominations for 10th annual Green Globe Awards close on Thursday 11 June 2009 – 5.00pm.  Awards presented at NSW Parliament House on Tues 28 July

April 2009

Melbourne faces water price hike up to 84% Water prices for Melbourne households could increase to 84% over next 5 years and tariffs rebalanced, according to a draft decision by the Victoria’s Essential Services Commission.)

March 2009

National 2009 savewater! awards® - call for entries for water conservation achievements, where companies and individuals demonstrate a commitment to use water more efficiently

Vic desal plant gets conditional approval

The $3 billion desalination plant planned for Wonthaggi in Victoria's southeast coast received conditional approval. It is expected to produce 150 billion litres of water a year and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011

Vic turf club charges ahead in water savings

 Cranbourne Turf Club was singled out by South East Water as they slashed over 98% of its water consumption in past year through investment in a dam and recycled water use.

February 2009

Water Bankruptcy

A World Economic Forum report warns of 'water bankruptcy' where demand outstrips supply. The report’s dire predictions are yet another affirmation of the current water crisis. There is hope though: It suggests the current economic conditions can help create the urgent reforms needed to address this water crisis...given political will.

kWh per kL of Rainwater

South East Water in conjunction with ‘us’ – Utility Services and WCG are undertaking a study to measure the rainwater tank pump’s energy

consumption.  WCG are looking for domestic consumers in the South East Water area who have a rainwater tank which is internally plumbed to supply toilets and laundries, to participate in a survey over 3 months. Prizes are being offered to the successful participants For more details please contact us or call on 03 8788 4113.

Victoria Bush Fire Appeal - As a show of our collective support, WCG staff worked an extra hour on Wednesday 11th as a “fundraiser” in order to donate $1,000 to the bushfire appeal

Victoria reveals 2008’s biggest water using towns

 2008 figures released by Victoria Government reveal Mildura is the state’s biggest per capita water user, (average 348L per person per day)  while Kilmore and Ballarat were the lowest (average of 140L and 143L per person per day respectively.

January 2009

Water Efficiency Online Forum

The Alliance for Water Efficiency Forum is now online! - Share knowledge, ideas, keep informed of what’s on the cutting edge and ask questions.  Click Here

Re-Tooling for Climate Change

Round 2 closes 16 February 2009  (Round 3 - 1 June 2009)  - $75m over 4yrs for small to medium sized Australian manufacturers for projects to improve the energy and/or water efficiency of their production processes. Grants from $10,000 to $500,000, up to a maximum of 1/3rd of the cost of each project.

December 2008

Councils' Water Saving Measures Pay Off

NSW councils are on their way to saving 10,000 mega litres of water by July 2010 thanks to a $22m joint initiative of the Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW (LGSA) and the NSW Water Directorate.

The WATER FOOTPRINT network was launched at the Corporate Water Footprint Conference, in London (UK). The Network aims to develop and apply the 'Water Footprint' to support the transition to sustainable and equitable water use, including how much intrinsic water is locked up in meat, grain and other foodstuffs produced by humans.

WME Magazine - Industrial Water

WCG have helped Woolworths switch on one of the world’s largest retrofitted rainwater harvesting systems, tapping the 21,000 sqm roof of its distribution centre in western Sydney to supply up to 95% of its needs.

Energy Use in the provision and consumption of urban water in Australia and New Zealand   This recent CSIRO report highlights the energy required for residential hot water use is quite significantly larger than a water utilities whole carbon footprint.

This report highlights that a 15% reduction in residential hot water use could offset all energy used by water utilities in 2006/07. While focused on the residential sector, the findings have the same impacts for the business sector.  Businesses trying to save energy and water should look to reducing large hot water users as a priority.

Target 155.  The Victorian Government has launched a major public campaign to encourage households to further reduce water consumption.  The campaign is modelled on the South East Queensland program and designed to reduce daily household consumption to 155 litres per person per day. The campaign aims to achieving similar or better savings than those expected under Stage 4 restrictions – without imposing bans on all outdoor watering and avoiding economic impact on industry. The campaign focuses on reducing shower times to >4 mins and installing water efficient showerheads.

Decorated Toilets in Brisbane CBD mark 8th annual World Toilet Day.

If a flush toilet were the benchmark, 2.6billion people in the world do not have access to basic sanitation. To bring awareness to this problem  Almost 100 toilets were designed by members of Brisbane's local design and artistic community and were on display in The Queen Street Mall in Brisbane on 19 November 2008 see website

December 2008 - Desal Plant News

Second Desalination Plant for WA The EPA has approved WA's 2nd DESALINATION plant, at Binningup, north of Bunbury. The billion dollar plant, which is scheduled for completion in 2011 will have the capacity to generate 100 gigalitres of water per year. (The West Australian)

The environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Adelaide Desalination Project, initially sized at 150ML/d is now available. The statement details key environmental aspects for consideration in the plant's construction and also includes an updated cost estimate for the project of $1.374m billion. There is a six week consultation period for the responses to the EIS. (SA Premier's Office) (ABC News) (Planning in SA)

November 2008 GreenRazor63 - Product of the Week

Water Conservation Group was featured as the Product of the Week in GreenRazor63 the newsletter for The Green Pages

November 2008 More Rain in RainHarD

RainHarD, Water Conservation Group’s rainwater harvesting design model, can now evaluate water savings for as many years as there are rainfall records. RainHarD – and its sibling StormHarD, can provide the amount of rainwater available in a year vs. the demand and the achievable cost savings. Any particular year can individually show trend lines for water supply and demand as well as the daily storage tank levels.

RainHarD has been calibrated on real life large commercial rainwater harvesting systems – and has saved our clients 1,000’s of dollars worth of water. To find out how big your tank needs to be, or to optimise your rainwater tank or stormwater harvesting scheme, contact us today. [use water@wcg e-mail]. For your own background information get a copy [e-mail link] of our paper on “Design Guidelines for Rain and Stormwater Harvesting Schemes”.

October 2008 - Water restrictions and embodied carbon

The Gold Coast recently rejoined the rest of South East Queensland with water restrictions reintroduced on the 27th October 2008. While the Water Efficiency Management Plan (WEMP) program never changed for large water users, the residential sector has again been asked to use less water. This is through the 170 liter per person per day campaign which aims to reduce residential water use. It may be unknown to some but water restrictions affect global warming.  According to a Gold Coast City Council inventory of greenhouse gas emissions (based on 1997-98 Energex account data, some energy audit data, and information obtained from utilities) the water/sewage sector is the main source of the Gold Coast's emissions accounting for 58% of the total (1). This is due to the carbon dioxide produced to treat and deliver this water by pumping it along

relatively flat surfaces. Following this thinking, saving water reduces carbon emissions and is a practical way individuals can really address climate change. Save more water to save our climate from dangerous climate change. To find out more about how we can help you calculate the embodied carbon in your wet print - contact us today!

(1) Source;

August 2008 - Doors Open to a Sustainable Life Style –

Sept 13 & 14 2008

Sustainable House Day, now in its seventh year, is a symbol of growing green consciousness in the ‘burbs.

“For this event, people actually open up their own homes to the public, showing how easy and economical the move to green living can be.”

So if you're looking for water savings ideas you can find an open house in your area by logging onto www.sustainablehouseday.com from August 30, 2008. 

July 2008 - Environment and Resource Efficiency Plans due in December

Victorian businesses using over 120ML of water and/or 100TJ of energy in a financial year are required to prepare an Environment and Resource Efficiency Plan, for submission to the Victorian EPA by December 2008. Water and energy savings actions identified that have a payback period better than 3 years then need to be implemented. More than 250 sites have registered to complete an EREP, and their combined water consumption is in the order of 300 gigalitres per year.

For more information go to: www.epa.vic.gov.au  

June 2008 - New Website Tracks Councils' Water Saving Efforts

A new website promoting the water saving efforts of councils across NSW was launched at the 2008 Annual Shires Conference in Sydney.

The website forms part of the Water Loss Management Program - a $22million joint initiative of the Local Government and Shires Associations (LGSA) of NSW and the Water Directorate, with partial funding through the Federal Government's Water Smart Australia Program.

For more information go to: Water Loss Management Program

May 2008 - First National Performance Report for Urban Water Utilities

The National Performance Report for Urban Water Utilities has just been released by the National Water Commission. The report outlines water consumption trends and indicators relating to the performance of urban water utilities focusing on water consumption, asset management, customer service, environment and health compliance, finance and pricing.

May 2008 – Smart Water Fund

The Smart Water Fund, which offers $5 million in funding for innovative water conservation, water recycling and biosolids management projects in Victoria will be open for Round Six applications by late June. For more information go to www.smartwater.com.au.

April 2008 - Federal Budget Water Announcement

The 2008/09 Budget will deliver on the Rudd Government’s election commitments in water and establish a $12.9 billion water investment program over ten years. This includes $1.5 billion in new urban water investment to help secure water supplies for Australian households and businesses.

April 2008 - Central Coast Water Savings Fund Round Three Open

Round 3 of the Central Coast Water Savings Fund is open for projects that will save or recycle water in Gosford City Council or Wyong Shire Council areas. Applications can be submitted prior to Wednesday 11 June 2008, for more information contact Central Coast Water Savings.

March 2008 - Green Globe Awards

Australia’s water, energy and environmental sustainability leaders were recently awarded for their innovation at the 2008 Sustainability Green Globe Awards. Hosted by the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Verity Firth, the ceremony at NSW Parliament House on February 28 attracted more than 500 business leaders and experts in environmental management.

January 2008 - $30 million Public Facilities Program

The Public Facilities Program under the NSW Climate Change Fund is now open for applications until Wednesday, February 13, 2008.

The fund provides $30 million for water and energy saving projects in facilities which are open to, and frequently accessed by, the public including schools, community buildings, sporting facilities, museums and art galleries.

December 2007 - Greening Grey Facilities launched

Greening Grey Facilities, a program to bring water and energy saving strategies to the aged care sector was launched this week. Greening Grey Facilities is an initiative of the Aged Care Association Australia and Water Conservation Group is a key project partner. The project is also supported by the NSW Climate Change Fund.

7 December 2007 - Green Vouchers program on hold

The new Labor Government under Kevin Rudd has suspended the Green Vouchers program announcing that it will streamline this initiative with its new National Solar Schools Plan (NSSP). It is expected that all schools will now be able to spend up to $50,000 on either rainwater tanks, solar hot water, photo voltaic cells or efficiency improvements.

Water Conservation Group will be working with leading PV and energy efficiency suppliers to still bring you the best overall package.

We recommend that you do not delay investigating your options so that your school can be amongst the first ones to obtain the grant when applications re-open. Contact us today for an obligation free quote.

30 November 2007 - $100m scheme to boost Sydney Water's recycling

AquaNet Sydney has been announced as preferred tenderer to design, build and operate the $100 million Rosehill Industrial Recycled Water Scheme. The joint venture between Singapore Power International, Babcock & Brown and Veolia Water will work with Sydney Water to provide recycled water to industrial customers in western Sydney.

23 November 2007 - Level 6 restrictions for QLD

Today the Queensland Water Commission announced Australia's toughest water restrictions. The nation's first Level Six restrictions specifically target non-residential water users.

The Water Restriction Notice requires anybody using more than 10,000 kL of water per year to

a) install sub-meters on each significant use (nominally >15% of total water consumption) and report on their use quarterly (a perfect application for our smart water metering system).

b) achieve a 25% reduction in water use by November next year.

Those failing to comply with the restrictions face fines of up to $125,000. So better call us early; we can help you comply for a lot less! ;-)

20 November 2007 - Green Globe Awards

Nominations for the 2008 Sustainability Green Globe Awards are now open. The Green Globe Awards recognise and honour achievement in environmental sustainability. The awards are open to businesses, individuals, government and non-government organisations who have led energy, water and environmental sustainability initiatives. Nominations can be lodged until Wednesday 19 December 2007.

7 November 2007 – Greening Grey Facilities program launched
This initiative will bring water and energy saving strategies to the aged care sector. It is supported by the Climate Change Fund of the NSW Government. The programme is run for the Aged Care Association Australia (ACAA) in NSW and the Aged & Community Services Association (ACS) coordinated by Demand Manager. Water Conservation Group and O3 Wash are the technical program partners.

Applications for the first 50 centres to participate are open now. If you qualify, get in early so you don't miss out by calling our hotline on 1300 850 215 or email.

2 November 2007 – Sydney desalination cost blows out
Further to our news item below, the cost for the desalination plant at Kurnell has now been revised to $2 billion - and counting due to difficulties constructing the delivery network.

18 September 2007 – Sydney Water wants $3/kL

The cost of water will go up by 20% each year for the next two years if Sydney Water gets its way. In its submission to IPART it applies to increase prices for large users to almost $2/kL, while Tier 2 residential users will pay $3/kL to finance the desalination plant.

You don't have to pay the higher costs though. Talk to our team how to save water - or supply your own, from free rainwater falling on your roof, recycling or stormwater harvesting.

12 September 2007 – Round 5 of Smart Water Fund Open

The latest round of the Victoria Smart Water Fund has been announced today. $5M have been put on the table. Submissions close 9 November.

If you'd like to tap into the expertise of our team to help you get a grant, call us today on (03) 8788 4183 or send us an e-mail.

17 August 2007 – Overview of Desalination Plants in Australia
How should the electricity supply industry respond to climate change? This was a strong focus at the annual conference of the Electric Energy Society of Australia (EESA). Melanie Werner, one of our water savings engineers, was invited to present an overview of desalination plants currently planned, under construction or in operation throughout Australia.
The first plant has been operational in Perth (130 ML/day at a cost of $387 million) since November 2006. Plants on the Gold Coast at Tugun (125 ML/day for $1.1 billion) and in Sydney (250 ML/day for $1.7 billion) are under construction. An additional plant has now been announced for Perth and the world’s largest plant at 400 ML/day for $3.1 billion has been announced for Melbourne. Plants are also being considered for Adelaide and the Spencer Gulf.

Combined, these plants will add some 380 GL/year to urban water supplies at an electricity demand of 1,870 GWh/year and a capital cost of $7.3 billion. In total this equates to a cost of $19/kL for water to be produced via desalination and distributed to the potable water reticulation network.

16 August 2007 – WSAA Report Card for 2006/07
Unprecedented spending on water infrastructure over the next 5-10 years will drive up the cost of water as Australian water utilities work towards a more diverse supply portfolio. This is what the latest annual report card of the Water Services Association of Australia says upon reviewing the Performance of the Australian Urban Water Industry and projections for the future.

15 August 2007 - The Global Water Tool Released
Today a free online resource has been released to help companies calculate water consumption and efficiency across a portfolio of facilities around the world. The tool is the product of the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD). It helps companies evaluate and address water risks, assess the impacts on their operations and supply chains to minimise risks and to reduce their water footprint. Contact us for details.

5 August 2007 – NSW Climate Change Fund Established
The NSW Energy and Utilities Administration Amendment (Climate Change Fund) Act 2007 which commenced on 1 July 2007 established the Climate Change Fund, consolidating the Energy Savings and Water Savings Funds previously under the Energy and Utilities Act. It will provide funding to encourage water and energy savings, reduce the impacts of climate change and for water saving measures in any area of the State
The fund will provide $310 million over 5 years. Opportunities for local councils in Sydney include:
• $100 million Recycling & Stormwater Harvesting Program – incl. implementing the Sydney Recycled Water Grid;
• $30 million Public Facilities Program – supporting energy and water savings projects.

1 August 2007 - Move into New Green Head Office

We have moved! You can now find us just down the road from our old place (19 Ryde Rd) at Suite 15, 33 Ryde Rd in Pymble/ Sydney. All other details remain. Our new head office has a beautiful outlook over some bushland. So why don't you call in for a cup of coffee next time you're passing through. Just phone 9499 8785.

24 July 2007 - New Draft Guidelines for Stormwater Reuse and Recycling

The latest set of guidelines for stormwater reuse, managed aquifer recharge and recycled water for drinking is available for download from the Australian Environment Protection and Heritage Council.

Comments on the draft guidelines, entitled Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling: Managing Health and Environmental Risks (Phase 2): Augmentation of Drinking Water Supplies, are invited by 21/9/07. Public meetings (pdf schedule) are being held during August.

18 July 2007 - More Rainwater Tanks for Schools

After BlueScope's Tank a Day initiative, the Federal Government has now announced a Green Vouchers for Schools Programme to get every school a rainwater tank and a solar hot water system. To secure up to $50,000 for your school, register online and give us a call to obtain the required firm quote. Make sure you add a smart water meter to help you monitor and promote your savings.

28 May 2007 - Visit us at the DesignBuild Expo in Sydney

Water Conservation Group will be at the DesignBuild Expo at Darling Harbour, Sydney, 3 to 6 June. Come and visit us to discuss how we could help your building save 80% water.

You will find us at the Watersave Australia booth, who we share a space with.

24 May 2007 - Rainwater & Urban Design 2007 Sponsorship

Water Conservation Group is proud to announce its sponsorship of the 13th International Rainwater Catchment Systems and 5th International Water Sensitive Urban Design Conference held in Sydney, 21-23 August 2007.

We will be presenting papers on Large Commercial Rainwater Harvesting Schemes and Integrated Water Conservation Programs for Large Users. A preview will soon be available from our planned download section.

17 May 2007 - National Water Performance Report Released
The latest report on the performance of urban water utilities in Australia is now available as Vol 1 and 2. It was prepared in a co-initiative between the National Water Commission (NWC), Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA), National Water Initiative (NWI) and the State Governments. It consolidates a number of previous reports including WSSA facts.

The report contains some staggering statistics: 88 L of water are lost every day for each connection. According to its numbers smaller water authorities recycled 23% while larger ones reused only 9% of their wastewater.

12 May 2007 - Community Water Grants Extended

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Malcolm Turnbull announced an extension of funding for the Community Water Grants program. Round 3 of the program, which is currently open for applications, was to be the final round of the original $200 million program but Minister Turnbull’s announcement means that there will definitely be more to come. The new funding of another $200 million will be distributed to community water savings projects over the next six years. If you’re interested in applying for funding for a community-based water project, why not contact us to discuss your plans?

9 May 2007 - Brisbane Office Opened

Water Conservation Group continues to expand. Spearheaded by a Senior Water Savings Engineer, the branch was opened to better serve large water users in Queensland. South East Queensland is the first region in Australia to be on Level 5 water restrictions.

If you are using between 10-20 ML/ year you need to submit a WEMP by 31 July 2007. If you need assistance with these, and in particular, if you are interested in funding options to implement water saving initiatives, contact us at our new Brisbane office.

30 April 2007 – The Office Watershed

Huge water savings could be realised if Australia’s office towers would use greywater. In an article published in this month's WME Magazine our Managing Director, Guenter Hauber-Davidson, describes how this could cut 4% off Australia's urban water consumption.

26 April 2007 – Community Water Grants Round 3 Open

Today the third round of the Australian Government's Community Water Grants scheme opened. It provides up to $50,000 for water saving projects that involve the community and have clear public benefits. Applicants and projects that meet special eligibility criteria may obtain a grant of between $100,000 and $250,000.

New for this round is that you must register as an applicant first by 22 June 2007. Applications must be lodged by 11am EST, Wed 4 July 2007.

Contact us early if you need any help in putting together an integrated water conservation project, rainwater or stormwater harvesting, waterless urinals, efficient irrigation or smart metering, as there is usually a mad rush towards the end.

17 April 2007 – Rainwater Tanks Cheaper than Desalination

A brand new report (download as pdf) confirms the message many of our clients have been getting for a long time: Rainwater tanks are cost-competitive compared with dams and desalination plants and five times more energy-efficient than desalination per kilolitre of water produced.

Hard working commercial rainwater harvesting schemes can be even more attractive.

If you want to beat future price rises to over $2/kL and obtain water free of restrictions, contact our expert team today.

10 April 2007 – Level five restrictions in South East Queensland
Today, the most draconian water restrictions ever imposed on a capital city in Australia come into force for Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Beaudesert, Caboolture, Esk, Gatton, Kilcoy, Laidley, Logan City, Pine Rivers and Redcliffe. Residents have been urged to reduce their showers to 4 minutes. All large water users must have their WEMP (Water Efficiency and Management Plan) in place by the end of the month and are expected to follow best practice water efficiency guidelines. If you need assistance with any of these, contact us at our new Brisbane office.

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