Water offer dropped

By Melissa Meehanand Casey Neill
YARRA Ranges Shire councillors last month voted to increase the number of sports grounds irrigated with drinking water, rejecting an offer of free recycled water.
Yarra Valley Water indicated it would be in a position to offer the shire a supply of Class A recycled water at no charge for the summer.
However, the council decided the cost of transporting the water to sports grounds was unfeasible as a long-term option.
There are 65 sports grounds in the shire that provide sport and recreation opportunities for the community, with six – Woori Yallock, Pinks, Upwey, Lilydale, Kilsyth and Yarra Junction recreation reserves – watered with drinking water.
They were chosen because of their function and current usage demands, according to the Yarra Ranges Shire Council Agenda.
Council’s decision means it will increase the number of grounds irrigated with drinking water to 12 sites, and potentially another six sites depending on the viability of water from bore and pool backwash projects.
The move to secure the highest-risk sites and investigate the potential to use reticulated Class A water will cost $315,000.
The council took into account a number of financial considerations in reaching its decision, including the cost of potable water, which is 15 cents a litre.
Also considered was the current 10-year capital works program, which provides a total of $4 million for recreational facility upgrades at strategic locations at $1 million per year for the next four years.
The shire is under Stage 3A water restrictions, meaning potable water can be used on one in four grounds.
The condition of the grounds and the need to protect the surfaces from further damage has severely restricted sports activities in many communities.
The shire has 24 grounds with irrigation systems which are watered twice a week, using 50,000 litres each time, with drinking water and that from other sources.
The council said it was important that sports facilities be maintained as the cost of turf replacement or re-establishment was high.
Significant water savings have already been made across the shire, with sporting grounds using about 47 per cent less water than five years ago.
Alternative water supply options include ground water, bore water, pool backwash water, Class A recycled water and rainwater harvesting.
Premier John Brumby announced a $12.9 million plan to combat the effects of the drought on sporting grounds in October, including $9.3 million to help councils maintain their facilities.
Last month it was reported that a secret plan to use pure drinking water to replenish drought-affected sports grounds was put to Melbourne councils.
The plan would allow councils to buy the potable water at highly inflated prices, with the profits to be used to fund water-saving projects.
Melburnians used nearly 70 billion litres less water in 2007 than in 2006, Minister for Water Tim Holding announced yesterday (Monday).
He said about 369 billion litres of water was used last year, compared with almost 440 billion litres in 2006 – a 16 per cent reduction.
“This is a great result, particularly when you consider 2007 was the hottest year on record,” he said.