Water Plan: Spend $22 To Save $50
Sun Herald
Sunday September 18, 2005
SYDNEY Water is boosting its scheme to cut household water use by employing up to 50 plumbers to fit water-saving devices.
The move comes as the price for domestic water goes up on October 1, adding about $60 a year to the average home water bill.Utilities Minister Carl Scully last week ordered Sydney Water to double the number of homes fitted with water-saving devices to 500,000 by 2007.Under the scheme people pay $22 for a plumber to come to their house to fit shower heads, flow regulators and weights in flushing toilets and check for minor leaks.Mr Scully said the devices should save the average home $50 and Sydney's hard-pressed dams 21,000 litres a year.Last week Sydney's dam storage fell 0.4 per cent to 40 per cent, almost draining away the June rain boost.So far 289,000 homes have been fitted with the devices since the program began five years ago.The work is free for pensioners and 37,000 large families who have six members or more.
© 2005 Sun Herald
