Initiatives in Action

The following is a summary of those water initiatives which have either been fully implemented or are currently in progress:

• Water Tanks
• WSAP Recommendations
• Programs
• Awards & Accolades

1. Water Tanks

Hidden away around the University is 944,000 litres of water storage. They have been implemented as follows:

• installation of a 25 kL rainwater tank  at the Graduate School of Medicine in 2006;
• installation of a 20 kL rainwater tank at the Ecological Research Centre in December 2008
• installation of a 39 kL rainwater tank at Central Square/ White Cedar Court in January 2009
• installation of a 360 kL rainwater tank at Oval 1 Redevelopment in March 2009
• installation of a 500 kL rainwater tank at URAC Sports Hub/Ovals in April 2009.

While the larger rainwater tanks mentioned above will not come on-line until the end of 2009, the above initiatives have already reduced water consumption at the main campus.

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2. WSAP Recommendations

The Water Savings Action Plan (WSAP) identified a range of initiatives to be implemented over a number of years.  The initiatives implemented to date have included:

• establishment of a  leak detection program;
• increased cooling tower cycles of concentration to 1,000 ppm saving 1,898 kL per annum;
• the “DIY” Sydney Water retrofit of all showerheads and taps with water efficient devices and flow restrictors, saving 7,045 kL per annum;
• installation of Pressure Reduction Valves saving 6,205 kL per annum;
• replacement existing water-cooled woks with air-cooled woks in the Asian restaurants saving 4,015 kL per annum

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3. Programs

Sydney Water ‘Do-it-Yourself Programme
The University entered the Sydney Water ‘Do-it-Yourself Programme’ in 2006. This programme reduced water flows in almost every bathroom/toilet facility on campus in the second half of 2007.

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4. Awards & Accolades

2006 Every Drop Counts Business Program Awards

1) Significant Achievement
At the annual Every Drop Counts Business Program Awards ceremony held on November 15, 2006.  Mr Chris Hewitt, Manager Maintenance & Energy, Buildings & Grounds, won an individual award for significant achievements in introducing a number of water saving initiatives, including plans to harvest rainwater from roofs to irrigate sports fields and using vacuum systems in chemistry laboratories that do not use water.

2) Waterless Artificial Hockey Field
Paul Manning, Executive Director, URAC, also received an award on behalf of the University for an innovative waterless wet dressed artificial grass hockey field, which will save an estimated 16 kL/d.  The URAC is the first in Australia to use the wet dressed artificial grass surface, which combines the durability of traditional sand filled artificial surfaces with the playing surface of the ‘wet’ fields.