Because we all need water

23 October 2024

Illustration of the natural water cycle in the Tweed

Council is revamping its Target 160 water saving campaign, empowering the Tweed community to help safeguard the Shire from future water shortages.

Water and Wastewater Water Cycle Management Coordinator Elizabeth Sedil said the revitalised campaign aimed to engage Generations Z and Y in particular to waste less water and use just 160 litres a day per person.

“Residents, businesses and agriculture – we all rely on water. It's also the lifeblood of our rivers and creeks, sustaining the subtropical ecosystems in our waterways and forests from the mountain tops though to the sea,” Ms Seidl said.

“Our water is the thing that makes the Tweed, the Tweed, yet a lot of us are on auto-pilot when it comes to using it.

“As our population grows, we are facing the challenge of more variable rainfall, with drier weather in our hot summer months when we need rain the most.

“While Council is working to raise Clarrie Hall Dam to secure our water supply, it’ll always remain important we don’t use more than our fair share to maintain the balance between people and nature.”

Ms Seidl said Council was focusing on Generations Z and Y because national research from The Water Conservancy showed they waste water the most.

“On average, Gen Z turns on the taps for 2 hours and 7 minutes a day, and Gen Y uses 2 hours and 11 minutes of water a day,” Ms Seidl said. 

“A big thank you to Gen X and especially to our Baby Boomers for being the most thrifty with your water use.

“The research shows Gen Xers use water 78 minutes a day while Baby Boomers turn on the taps for 53 minutes a day – that’s a massive 78 minutes a day less than Gen Y.

“We’re hoping our Target 160 campaign will inspire Generations Z and Y to join our older generations in making every drop count.”

To help, Council has condensed its water-saving advice into 5 easy-to-adopt tips.

  • Find and fix your water leaks. A dripping tap can waste more than 30L a day. 
  • Install water-efficient showerheads, taps and appliances with at least a 4-star water rating label. Be quick! Our residential water rebate is ending when funds run out.  
  • Use a swimming pool cover to reduce evaporation. You'll save up to 82L a day. 
  • Go easy with the hose. Watering the garden uses 15 to 20L a minute.
  • Keep your daily shower to 4 minutes. You’ll save 9L for every minute you knock off.

“They might seem like small steps, but collectively they have a big impact," Ms Seidl said.

“We’re hoping they’ll reduce the Tweed’s daily water consumption during our warmer months. Every October to January for the past 8 years, each of us has been using on average 189 litres of water a day. 

"We're keen to get this down to 160 litres. That means each of us saving about 30 litres a day.”

Find out how much water you're using via our online calculator.  

More information about Target 160 is available on our website. 

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