Water wiggling

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
YARRA Valley townships are doing a fantastic job in water saving, despite more flexible restrictions.
Residents in Millgrove and Warburton were the best water savers in the valley, using 12 per cent less water per household per day, than this time last year.
Warburton and Millgrove residents used an average 372 litres of water per household per day during 2009/10, while last year they used an average of 422 litres per household per day.
Yarra Valley Water released the figures last week, showing individually residents are using one litre less per person per day compared to April last year.
Healesville residents are using an average of 441 litres of water per household per day, nine per cent less than this time last year.
And people in Yellingbo and Woori Yallock have reduced their average water use by six per cent, down to an average of 486 litres of water per household per day.
Warburton Primary School students are also doing their bit to help save water.
The school has two large water tanks and a variety of programs to get students involved in sustainable and water-saving practices.
School captain Codie Shade said tanks save water for the students to use on their vegetable garden.
“We have garden class once a fortnight and when the vegies grow, we cook and eat them,” she said.
Vice-captain Timothy Wappett said the school’s worm farm turns compost into juices with the help of the wrigglers.
“It makes worm tea that we put on the plants to help them grow and keep snails and slugs away,” he said.