WATER wastage has come front and centre in MidCoast Council’s LGA, with the Regional Network Leakage Detection Project launched at the end of May.

The Project is part of the NSW Government’s $12.5 million Regional Leakage Reduction Program, which has already surveyed more than 2,700 kilometres of water mains, and found over 930 leaks across the state, saving councils billions of litres of lost water.

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“This project is going to help people save water and money, which is a win-win as far as we’re concerned,” said Council’s Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Services, Rob Scott.

“With our water network covering such a large and varied landscape, it can be challenging to stay on top of leaks.

“This project will help us find and fix leaks, meaning that more of our precious water will be used for drinking and other essential purposes, rather than soaking into the ground,” Mr Scott added, seeking to emphasise the benefits inherent for all residents.

Those thousands of litres could very well be springing out from any point along Council’s 1300km of water mains, and shall be identified by technicians contracted from Aqua Analytics, using specialist leak-detection equipment.

Employing acoustic technology, technicians can pinpoint suspected leaks upon people’s properties, without having to actually enter the property.

Upon detection, technicians will leave a notification letter for the resident.

Council has asked residents to be aware that, in some cases, technicians will need to turn the water off at the meter for a few seconds, but this will only be done if there is no water being used inside the home.

“While Council will fix leaks in the water network, it remains the responsibility of residents to fix any leaks on their properties, however, it will pay off in the long term,” Mr Scott explained.

“An undetected leak inside your home or property can unnecessarily raise your water bill, especially if it’s substantial or has been there for a long time.”

By Thomas O’KEEFE