Sustainability

South Gippsland Water is committed to providing water and wastewater services to the region in a sustainable manner. As an essential service provider, it is important that we identify how we will continue to contribute to a secure economy, enhanced environment and healthy community.

Sustainability Strategy

To deliver our vision “to be widely recognised as an exemplary service provider and valued as an essential contributor to regional development and resource sustainability,” South Gippsland Water is focused on four key sustainability priorities. These are:

  • Water and wastewater services
  • Water and wastewater quality
  • Natural environment
  • Climate change

South Gippsland Water has developed a sustainability strategy which details objectives, goals and targets to enable us to become a more sustainable Corporation. In helping us to realise the four key sustainability priorities listed above, the Corporation has developed eight fundamental aspects that will be taken into consideration during decision making. These are:

  • Planning with foresight
  • Sound investment logic
  • Proactive community and customer engagement
  • Business adaptability
  • Quality people
  • Exemplary environmental management
  • Timely and accurate data and information
  • Effective governance

Sustainability At Home

There are many simple and easy things people can do at home to contribute to using water effectively and efficiently.
Small savings in each household makes a difference region-wide.

Saving water around your home:

  • When you have a shower play your favourite song and try to finish by the time the song ends.
  • Install a 3 Star water efficient showerhead to reduce usage from 22 litres to nine litres a minute.
  • While brushing your teeth, wet your brush and fill a glass of water for rinsing. Don’t leave the tap running!
  • Replace single flush toilets with a dual flush.
  • Check if your toilet is leaking by putting a little food colouring in the cistern. If the colour appears in the bowl without flushing, have the cistern repaired immediately.
  • Don’t rinse dishes before loading them into your dishwasher. Use the rinse and hold setting and run the dishwasher with a full load on economy save options.
  • Rinse fruit and veggies in the sink, instead of under running water.
  • Use a front loading machine. When washing several loads, use the sudsaver option and always have a full load.
  • Choose appliances that are water efficient.
  • Fix leaks and dripping taps.
  • Conduct a water conservation audit on your home.
  • Wash your car on the lawn.
  • Install a rainwater tank for garden watering or connect it to your toilet.
  • Use mulch on your garden and reduce water evaporation by up to 70%.
  • Only water your lawn when it needs it. Test it by stepping on the grass. If it springs back when you move, it doesn’t need water.
  • Aerate and feed the lawn during summer and don’t mow it shorter than 2cm.
  • Fit a tap timer to ensure you don’t over-water.
  • Water your garden in the early morning or late evening, when your plants can get maximum benefit from the water you give them.
  • Use a broom to sweep the driveway. It’s quicker, more efficient and friendlier to the environment.
  • Fit a trigger nozzle to your hose – All hoses should be fitted with a trigger nozzle under South Gippsland Water’s Permanent Water Saving Rules in place across all water supply regions.

Fact Sheets:
Save-50L-water-per-day
How-to-read-your-meter
Water-efficient-showerheads
Select-rainwater-tank
Install-rainwater-tank
Washing-machines
Pools-spas
Wastewater