Are Territorians water wasters?

20 Mar 2007

Aiming to offer Darwin residents an opportunity to have a say on the future of water in Darwin, the survey has already attracted more than 600 responses.

Power and Water General Manager Water Services Paul Heaton said the survey explores local attitudes towards water use, now and in the future.

“The results will help inform Power and Water in the planning for future water supplies for the Darwin region,” Mr Heaton said.

“It will also tell us what initiatives our residents support to help us all use water more wisely.’’

A national report released last year - Community Views on Water Shortages and Conservation - found Darwin residents were the least likely across Australia to be concerned about water conservation.

“Water is a precious resource and we use more than twice as much as other capital cities and significantly more than other tropical cities such as Townsville and Cairns,’’ Mr Heaton said.

Current Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that average household water consumption in the NT is 399,000 litres each year. This compares with a national average of 268,000 litres.

The combination of changing weather patterns and growing population means the community will either have to reduce water consumption or invest in new infrastructure such as building dams and water storage tanks.

Participants in the survey have included residents, schools, the nursery and garden industry, irrigators, government and local businesses.