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Waterwise

How can I find out and do more? 

Rainwater tanks and grey water

• Rainwater tank calculator
• Maintaining your rainwater tank – a guide
• Grey water – health considerations and guidelines for use

Water authorities and latest reports

• State Water
• Hunter Water Corporation
• Sydney Water
• Sydney Catchment Authority
• Regional water utilities
• State Water 'regulated river' levels – reports on river, dams and ground water levels
• Sydney Water water restrictions – water use restrictions and penalties
• Sydney Water water management – water analysis, quality and management
• Sydney catchment water storage – dam and water storage levels
• Water for Life Program Water Facts
• Australian Bureau of Statistics – the influence of lifestyles on the environment

Case studies

• Sydney Olympic Park – Australia's first large-scale urban water recycling scheme
• Geelong display home – reduces water costs by up to 80%
• Adelaide housing development – with recycled stormwater for gardens and toilets
• Innovative urban water design – Lismore, Newcastle and Gold Coast homes with rainwater, stormwater and grey water systems

Water saving strategies and products

• Waterless toilets – an alternative to a septic tank
• Water Saving Fact Sheet – strategies for saving water in and outside the home
• Reducing water demand – tips for saving water inside the home
• Garden design – tips for saving water outside the home and waterwise gardening

ABC TV – The New Inventors and their waterwise inventions

New inventions designed to conserve or reuse household water:

• Grey water system
• Grey water irrigation
• Sink that fills the toilet cistern with the grey water
• Rain catcher
• Small space rainwater tank
• Slimline rainwater storage system
• Downpipe diversion device for rainwater capture
• Hot water reuse in showers

Waterwise gardening

• Wise About Water program
• Sustainable Gardening Australia
• Quicktips for your garden and pool
• Australian native plant enthusiasts
• Australian native flora
• Directory of Australian botanic gardens and arboreta

Sustainable building and housing

• Water sensitive design
• Urban stormwater design
• Water use and building design Fact sheets
• Directory of accredited Building professionals
• Ecospecifier – environmentally preferable products, materials and resources to help designers, builders and consultants reduce environmental impacts
• Energy and water saving tips

Volunteering

• Coast and Clean Seas Program – protection, management and rehabilitation of our coastal and marine environments
• Streamwatch – community water quality monitoring in the Sydney basin
• Conservation Volunteers
• Waterwatch – the state of our waterways and activities to protect and improve water quality
• Wild About Wetlands – Manly Lagoon restoration project

Farming and agriculture

• 'A salad sandwich bought from a Sydney sandwich bar is likely to contain water from the Murray River in Victoria'
• 'Talking Water' – Comprehensive 12 Part Report
• 'Farming without harming in an old, flat, salty landscape' – salinity and farming research paper

Need more? 

Explore the resource centre for a wide range of useful and informative materials and tools.