Turn off your taps

GOULBURN Valley Water (GVW) has called on Euroa and Violet Town residents to immediately reduce their water use as ongoing dry conditions and declining water storage levels point to the possibility of further water restrictions in July. GVW said on Friday, 13 June that further measures would be necessary to protect local water storages, which have continued to fall since the introduction of Stage 2 restrictions in May. Water storages currently sit at 18 per cent, compared to 77 per cent at the same time last year. GVW managing director Steve Capewell thanked residents and visitors for their ongoing efforts to limit their water use. “Euroa and Violet Town communities have a great understanding of the need to use water efficiently and wisely, and we very much appreciate their efforts to conserve valuable supplies,” Dr Capewell said. “Unfortunately, storages continue to be impacted by this record-breaking stretch of low rainfall, (and) if dry conditions continue, Stage 4 restrictions will be needed to further reduce pressure on drinking water supplies.” Rather than introducing Stage 3 restrictions, GVW is asking residents to further reduce their water use voluntarily, a decision that gives the community more options to reduce water use before Stage 4 restrictions are put in place. “If we see a good result from the community response, we may be able to delay the implementation of Stage 4 restrictions,” Dr Capewell said. The main differences between Stages 2 and 4 water restrictions relate to outdoor water use limitations - lawns and gardens cannot be watered at any time, pools and spas cannot be filled or topped up, and cleaning hard surfaces and washing vehicles is not allowed, unless necessary for health and safety reasons. Because residential demand accounts for most of the water use across the GVW region, household changes can have a big collective impact. Having shorter showers and only running dishwashers and washing machines with full loads can significantly lower water use. Because water cannot be accessed from storages at 18 per cent of capacity without risking infrastructure damage, GVW has been delivering treated drinking water from Seymour and Shepparton to Euroa and Violet Town since before Stage 2 restrictions were introduced. A small-diameter water outlet remains open at the Euroa standpipe for small rural users, providing limited access to drinking water for their essential needs. Bulk drinking water outlets at the standpipes (where approved users can purchase and collect bulk drinking water) in Euroa and Violet Town closed when Stage 2 water restrictions began, and will remain closed until restrictions are lifted. Local water carters are being supported to source water elsewhere to continue servicing rural communities. The Euroa purple standpipe, which delivers recycled water for public spaces and construction works, remains open. GVW has been encouraging residents to use water wisely through ongoing community pop-ups in Euroa and Violet Town. The initiative promotes opportunities for customers to save water, and provides water conservation giveaways such as hose trigger nozzles, shower timers, and water-efficient shower heads. Further information and tips on how to save water can be found at www.gvwater.vic.gov.au or by calling 03 5832 4800