City of Ballarat has confirmed its storm water levels are lower than average due to the lasting effects of one of the driest springs ever recorded in Ballarat.
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City of Ballarat General Manager City Services Terry Demeo said the lack of rainfall – which is just 14.8mm for November and down from the (monthly) average of 56.1mm – has lowered the catchment levels.
However, he said there are several contingencies in place to help ease the strain on existing resources.
“During the last drought the City of Ballarat invested in networking reclaimed water to several of its high water-usage precincts to reduce the amount of mains water required at those sites,” he said.
“The City of Ballarat is continuing to work with water resources stakeholders from across the region to identify integrated water cycle management opportunities, including further storm water harvesting and reuse opportunities across the city.
“Warm season grasses, which require less water than traditional turf grasses are being installed in several sporting grounds.”
Mr Demeo said an average of 175,000 kilolitres of water is used per annum for open space irrigation in Ballarat.
“This is the equivalent of 1.7 kilolitres per resident population of Ballarat at 2015. This is only $3 worth of mains water per resident population,” he said.
Mr Demeo said the watering of local irrigated sporting grounds began in late September and no earlier than usual, while the watering of irrigated parks and Sturt Street’s median strip, as well as flower bed planting rotations, also began as scheduled.
Temperatures have so far averaged 13.5 degrees this spring in Ballarat, compared to the long-term average of 11.3 degrees, analysis by Weatherzone has shown.
Mr Demeo said both mains and recycled water is being used to keep the city’s parks and grounds fresh, with reclaimed water from Lake Wendouree to be used at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens and Prince of Wales Park, while captured storm water will be used to water Eureka Stadium and other grounds.