Melbourne

Water Sustainability

Most water comes from 140,000 hectares of forested catchment areas in Yarra ranges.

The forest acts like a sponge , catching , holding , filtering and slowly releasing water into streams and reservoirs.

• 56,300 hectares of state forest, managed by the Department of Environment and Primary Industries – some have limited public access while others allow activities like camping, four wheel driving and logging

• 90,800 hectares of national park, managed by Melbourne Water and Parks Victoria under agreement – most are off-limits to the public and allow only limited activities such as bushwalking

• 7,500 hectares of Melbourne Water land• 2,100 hectares of private land

Where Melbourne’s water is usedMost water supplied by our reservoirs is used by households. Of Melbourne’s total water usage in 2011-12:                                                •65% was residential•25% was non-residential – used by factories and businesses, schools, hospitals and parks•10% was non-revenue (water not paid for by customers) – used for fire fighting, lost through

Water main bursts or leaks or unaccounted for due to factors like inaccurate water metersOf the water used in households:•40% is used in bathrooms•15-20% is used in the laundry•10% is used in the kitchen

The daily average consumption of water per person in Melbourne is 228 Lt

Water recycling and sewer mining

Central to the water reuse strategy in CH2 is the Blackwater Treatment Plant. As well as treating both the blackwater (toilet) and greywater (showers and basins) waste produced by the building, the system is also treating sewerage ‘mined’ from the sewer. Sewerage is usually made up of 95 per cent water and the system in CH2 is demonstrating that sewers can be a source of useable water.

Values of WATER

• Provides Biodiversity

• Recreational

• Micro Climate – Cooling Effect

• Self Sufficiency

• Food

• Absorb CO2

• Water Purification

Waterway key values

We have identified a number of key values that are strong indicators of healthy waterways and guide the focus of our work.

These values were developed with our stakeholders and the community, and reflect the importance they place on waterways to support a healthy environment and make Melbourne an enjoyable place to live.

Our key values are:

vegetation (plants) – the type of plants within and alongside waterways are vital to their health, providing animals with food and shelter, improving soil and water quality, stabilising river beds and banks and providing shade and temperature control

fish – usually near the top of the aquatic food chain, fish provide food for birds and a source of recreation for people who go fishing

frogs – an essential part of the ecosystem, frogs are sensitive to pollutants in water and air and are therefore an excellent indicator of water quality

platypus – an animal unique to Australia, which relies on insects for foodbirds – the most visible, studied and monitored animal, birds positively influence how people feel about the health

of our waterways – many wetlands and waterways are popular spots for bird watchingmacroinvertebrates (waterbugs) – a food source for platypus, fish and frogs, they are very sensitive to changes in

the environment and are a good indicator of waterway healthamenity (pleasantness to visitors) – affects people’s wellbeing and draws them to waterways where they can relax,

replenish and connect with others and nature