Checking for water leaks

Have you got a leaky tap?

To make sure you don’t, officers from Toowoomba Regional Council are continuing to travel throughout the region to check water meters.

As part of a program to conserve water, Toowoomba Regional Council Portfolio Leader of Water and Waste Committee, Cr Bill Cahill said staff have been reading water meters and talking to residents to identify if there is an appliance in use or whether there is a potential leak.

“We recently kicked off our leak checkers program and are in the process of visiting different parts of the region,” Cr Cahill said.

“We started in Cambooya and from the first 250 properties we looked at about 10 per cent were identified as potentially having a leak.

“Our officers have then been talking to residents about this process and informing them what can be done to fix the leak. In the cases where residents aren’t home, we have been leaving an information card with our contact details to discuss the matter further.

“It’s important we identify any leaks as water is the most important commodity we have.

“Despite the recent rain, the ongoing drought conditions are causing significant stress on water supplies and, unfortunately, Council’s bores are under pressure in a number of regional communities.

“On top of this, the average daily demand across the Toowoomba Bulk Water Network is 36.7 megalitres per day from our bores and dams. With a combined dam level of about 43 per cent, it’s imperative we save water wherever possible.”

In addition to looking for any leaks, other ways residents can be water wise include:

• swap your normal showerhead which uses 17 litres per minute, for a water efficient shower head that only uses around nine litres per minute

• use a timer to help reduce shower time

• turn off the water while brushing your teeth

• only fill the bath to the level that is required

• plug the sink when washing dishes by hand, rather than washing under a running tap.

For more information about our water network, visit http://ow.ly/Mf2N50juRGR