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Water conservation involves the preservation, control and development of water resources, both surface and groundwater, and prevention of pollution.
The City of Mandurah has endorsed a Water Efficiency Action Plan that has set targets to reduce corporate and community scheme water use.
Saving our water to meet future demand is ever more important, as our State experiences the effects of a drying climate, reduced rainfall and increased population.
Leaks can be wasteful and costly. Regularly checking taps, pipes and fittings around your property could save precious water and precious money. More information on leak detection can be found on the Water Corporation's website.
Visit the Water Corporation's website to find useful information and tips on how to:
Lead by example this winter, by switching off your sprinklers for the start of winter and encourage your friends and family to join you in participating in the Winter Sprinkler Switch-Off.
The winter sprinkler ban aims to prevent wastage and save water for the drier months. A ban applies to scheme and bore water users in Perth, Mandurah and parts of the South West and Great Southern from 1 June to 31 August.
By turning off your sprinklers this winter, we can, together, save almost enough water to fill 5 times a football oval!
The City of Mandurah encourages soft landscape verge treatments, including waterwise plants and mulch. Waterwise verge gardens can:
Save water in the garden (potentially approx. 20,000-40,000 litres per year),
Require little maintenance,
Create a cooling effect and counteract the heat island effects in summer,
Provide a habitat for local wildlife and promote biodiversity.
We have put together the City of Mandurah Waterwise Verge guide to help you create your own low maintenance Waterwise verge. You can also visit Water Corporation’s website on creating a waterwise garden.
Head to Lakelands Community House on Dalona Parkway in Lakelands, to view a demonstration Waterwise verge.
This water-saving planting program is run by the City for local residents wishing to install waterwise verges. The Water Corporation’s sponsorship of this program supports the City to run annual workshops from May to August each year.
The program’s timing allows residents to take advantage of the winter rains to give the new plants a better chance at establishing without the need for additional watering.
Residents are encouraged to start preparing their lawns and verges as soon as possible (killing off existing lawn if needed), when they decide to transform their verges into waterwise verges, so their new verges can be installed as soon as possible after attending a workshop. At these workshops, residents will learn how to successfully transform verges into waterwise gardens.
Eligibility for this program involves a two-way partnership between the City and the local resident, with each person doing their part (as detailed below):
The City will provide the following to participants towards the verge makeover:
Want some inspiration for your verge? Check out this self-drive tour.
To participate in a future Waterwise Verge Makeover program, please register your interest below:
The City of Mandurah's local law considers synthetic / artificial turf to form part of the ‘hardstand’ area which is only permitted to cover 50% of your total verge.
See the City of Mandurah Street Verge Development Guide for more information.
To assist with urban cooling Water Corporation also recommends low water use verge gardens that use native plants, as an alternative to synthetic turf/lawn.
We value our natural water resources, and put in place measures to manage what we have efficiently.
The City of Mandurah’s approach to water conservation and efficiency is evidenced by our participation in the Waterwise Council program since 2009 .
The Waterwise Council Program is jointly run by the Water Corporation and the Department of Water, and until recently was part of the ICLEI Water Campaign, a global water saving initiative.
The aim of the Waterwise Council Program is to achieve reduction in the usage of scheme water and groundwater annually.
The City has committed to a Corporate and Community target of reducing water use by seven percent (7%) by 2020/2021 (based on 2012 water use figures).
In late 2016 Council endorsed the City of Mandurah’s five year Water Efficiency Action Plan which will guide the City’s efforts of continual improvement in water efficiency across it’s operations and to support the Community in reducing water use.
The City’s waterwise approach is evident in projects such as:
In 2017 the City of Mandurah was awarded the Waterwise Council of the Year – Platinum status, a proud achievement by the City and our Residents!
Groundwater is a very important resource in Western Australia and Mandurah.
Groundwater is water found below the earth’s surface and is stored in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rocks.
Most groundwater comes from rain that has soaked through the ground and has gathered over many thousands of years.
Managing groundwater is crucial to protecting the environment and is vital to preserving our beautiful City for generations to come.
Maintaining Mandurah’s 240 parks and reserves is serious business for the City of Mandurah, as mismanagement of groundwater will affect our ability to provide quality public open space areas for the community and puts a strain on ecosystems such as wetlands and springs.
The City works with the Department of Water, who is responsible for determining how much groundwater the City can safely extract without causing harm to the environment.
To effectively and sustainably manage our Groundwater use, the City of Mandurah has developed strategies and plans to include the Water Conservation Plan and Groundwater Operating Strategy
to help improve groundwater management:
The City has undertaken an inventory of its groundwater assets and has begun extensive monitoring of groundwater extraction and water quality.
A number of strategies have been developed to enable the City to manage its groundwater use.
These include:
Installation of meters on bores
Monitoring groundwater use
Hydrozoning – the setup of irrigation to allow for different zones of a park or reserve to receive different amounts of water based on their type of use and turf requirements
Use of alternative water sources such as treated wastewater on our Public Open Spaces such as Ocean Road, Meadow Springs and Merlin sporting ovals.
As we look at sustainable ways of watering our Open Spaces and protecting our environment, you may notice that some areas of grass are not as green as they used to be.
Irrigation of turf and landscaped areas within reserves and public open spaces are maintained regularly and includes reviewing and modifying the irrigation to manage the water quality and availability. The water source for the City’s reserves and public open space is mainly groundwater.
Please contact the City if you see faulty irrigation or leaks related to City of Mandurah irrigation.
Water sensitive urban design is an urban design approach into drainage and stormwater management to improve the management of the urban water cycle. It is a holistic approach that aims to improve water quality by minimising run off. Water sensitive urban design encourages water efficiency and in particular the reuse of water harvested in urban areas.
Onsite infiltration of stormwater, stormwater treatment measures and stormwater harvesting is encouraged to increase water efficiency and improve water quality.
Water sensitive urban design principles are now recognised as best management practice for stormwater management and have been widely adopted by local governments in the Peel-Harvey catchment. The City has joined other local governments in the region in adopting a Water Sensitive Urban Design Local Planning Policy to ensure new development is consistent with the principles of water sensitive urban design.
The City is a partner in the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities that brings together university, industry, and government partners to help cities respond to pressing water problems for the benefit of current and future generations.
