Transcript Sustainability Program for Community Housing Organisations

This project has been assisted by
the New South Wales Government
through its Energy Efficiency Training Program
Sustainability Program for Community
Housing Organisations
Compass Housing Services
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reproduced and adapted, provided the meaning is unchanged and its source, publisher and authorship are
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document are factual and free of error. However, the State of NSW and the Office of Environment and Heritage
shall not be liable for any damage which may occur in relation to any person taking action or not on the basis of
this document.
Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of Premier and Cabinet
Phone: (02) 9995 5000 (switchboard)
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.environment.nsw.gov.au
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Water- conservation and usage
Civilisations build
themselves around
access to water
Water is a finite
natural resource
that we need every
day!
Water- conservation and usage
Water usage- guiding principles
• Reduce demand- this is much more efficient
than creating infrastructure to supply water.
• Reduce stormwater runoff, and collect it.
• Re-use and recycleIt is possible to re-use grey-water in some casesUsually it is OK to use washing machine water in
the garden directly, but not stored.
Seek advice from local council authority for
guidelines.
All stored grey-water must be treated.
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Current unsustainable water cycle
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A more sustainable water cycle
Water, free from the sky….. we should
collect it.
Litres of rainwater/year =
surface area
X
yearly rainfall
General notes:
• 1 cubic decimetre= l litre volume.
• 1 square metre= 100 square decimetres
• Yearly rainfall Newcastle = (1120mm) 11.2 decimetres
Activity.
Calculate the volume of water your own roof could collect/ year
Litres per person
Activity: an exercise to put things in perspective, and
understanding water resources.
It will assist individuals with water planning and
assessment issues at home and for Compass clients
Using your own house water rate examples,
•Calculate usage / day/ person
•Availability / day if collection of rainwater is feasible?
•A surplus or shortfall.?
(Hunter Water Average. Around 200 Kilolitres/ year/ house.
105 Litres/ day/ person. (2000) WSAA)
How much does a household need?
A recent study of 400 households* revealed a range of
results:
Daily per-person water usage:
Example 1
1100 litres/ day (Toukley)
Example 2
51 litres/ day (Brooklyn and Woy Woy)
Consider the levels of sustainability, in the given detailed
examples
None of the houses had rain water collection
Both the lower use houses had plans to install in near future.
Upon observation and discussion, ex.2 were very happy with
lifestyles and bills, while ex.1 was happy, yet unconcerned with
the bill.
Water planning
• Water rates are low at the moment, but likely to increase
substantially over time
• Water efficiency is a crucial task as future climate is likely to
be more unstable.
• Many places have plenty available space for water tanks
• Many homeowners with tanks say they should have gotten a
larger one*
• The larger the storage, the better, between rain periods. A
guideline would be to install 5000 litres as standard.
A rough guide to current water usage.
Ashfield, NSW
If tanks were installed, how might chart shape alter?
Showers- The water and energy
saving potential is large….
• water flow per minute?
• Comfort quality of flow
• Worth spending time to
research for the right unit.
• Money spent on good
quality low flow units
rapidly recovered.
• A good showerhead is a
mobile item, and a great
energy saver for renters.
Hunter Water is providing rebates on water saving devices.
• Hunter Water offer shower and toilet rebates including premium quality `Methven
'Satinjet' shower heads at heavily discounted prices (ie selling at $40 when the
retail price is $150 - $200)
http://www.hunterwater.com.au/Save-Water/Save-Water-Initiatives/Home-RetrofitProgram.aspx
or
Phone 1300657657
This applies to all houses in the Hunter Water supply region.
Flow Rates
Activity
Items:
• Kitchen jug, with litres marked
• Watch / timer
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•
•
•
•
Turn on shower to normal flow rate.
Catch the water in the jug for 10 seconds
Measure litres
Multiply by 6 to make up a minute
= flow rate in litres/ minute
Some figures…
Old or standard showerheads can use up to 20 litres/ min
116 000 litres/ year, 4 people.
Good shower experiences can be had at a flow rate of 5
litres/ minute.
29 200 litres year, 4 people
A 4 minute shower is the standard promotion, (and is
used for this calculation)
Behaviour Change
Shower experiences are personal, and often
hedonistic and perhaps the hardest thing to change
Some ideas to assist with shower times.
Activity:
There are many habits related to water saving… what are the others?
Toilets
-an enormous water saving potential
Low use
Very low use
Zero water use
Tapware
• Low-flow aerators in tapware save
large quantities of water
• Check all taps to see if there are
aerators fitted.
WELS ratings also apply to tapware
Mixer taps- hot / cold
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In The Garden.
• Use plants which are adapted to the local conditions
• Local endemic native species are perfect
• Always lay thick mulch around small plants to
minimise watering requirements
• Mulch may be compost, wood chips or lawn
clippings.
Appliances and Water
Key attributes to look for
• Effectiveness
• Efficiency of water use
• Often, machines that are water
efficient are also energy efficient
• Quality, and efficiency in both
energy and water cost less in the
long term.
Washing machines
Larger machines, used less often
use less water and energy than
smaller machines used more
often.
Dishwashers
• Generally accepted that they use
less water than handwashing….
If- a water efficient model is used.
• Use when full to achieve efficiency.
(but set timer to run overnight if
TOU metering)
Water checklist.
Look at all water fittings and hoses to check if water is
leaking.
• Toilets- food colouring can be useful if poured into
cistern
• Outdoor taps- often new washers can fix leaks
• Indoor taps
• Showers
• “One drop per second equals 7000 litres of water
wasted per year.” *
Take a Break