National 2011 savewater! awards

The savewater! awards® are now in their ninth year, and have emerged as Australia’s leading awards for water sustainability. These prestigious awards recognise and reward excellence in water conservation and efficiency by business, government, schools, local communities and individuals.

Entries are now open, and close at 5pm (AEST) Monday 8 August 2011.

Delivering science for sustainable management of catchments and water resources

CEH’s Water Programme provides scientific insights into the processes that determine water flows, water quality and biotic resources in order to assist the sustainable management of catchments and their water resources.

Analysis of observations of the morphology, hydrology, chemistry and biology of lowland and upland rivers and lakes is used to identify trends and evaluate new and existing models. Monitoring, experiments and modelling are used to identify roles of abiotic and biotic processes and interactions in freshwaters, and in the management, conservation and restoration of freshwater ecosystems. Catchment-scale monitoring and experimental studies aim to reduce the uncertainties in the prediction of environmental change arising from limitations in our current understanding of hydrological feedbacks between the land surface and atmosphere

Residential growth sparks water supply fears

Posted Thu Apr 21, 2011 11:19am AEST

Mount Gambier Mayor Steve Perryman is worried SA Water will not have enough drinking water to cope with residential growth in South Australia's second largest city.

An area to the north-west of the city is flagged for residential growth and the region's strategic plan has tipped population to double in the south-east to more than 150,000 within 20 years.
Councillor Perryman says after Planning SA looked into the development, it raised concern about SA Water reaching its extraction limit allowed under its current licence.
"If we're opening up large areas for residential development, there's going to be an increase in population and an increase in water consumption," he said.
"They're saying that if there's an increase in population, consideration needs to be given on how we're going to provide water for those people."
SA Water says it will begin long-term planning for Mount Gambier this year.
Under the planning, population projections will be coupled with assessment of the city's current mains water infrastructure and waste water systems.