National Water Week is making a splash across Port Macquarie-Hastings from October 19-25, inspiring individuals, communities and organisations to build awareness around the value of water.
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Access to clean water is hugely important to our daily lives, and it's down to all of us to protect our water environments and resources, and use water wisely.
The theme for 2020 is Reimagining our Water Future.
As the Port Macquarie-Hastings population grows, this will put more stress on regional water resources, so how can we reimagine the way we use and reuse water to ensure there's enough of it in the future?
How can we rethink our current water practices to help conserve valuable water resources?
What can we do as individuals and as communities to inspire a more sustainable water future?
Whether it's a simple change residents can all make from today, or a brand new futuristic invention, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council wants to hear your big ideas to include in its Community Strategic Planning, Think 2050.
To provide feedback and input into this long term plan go to haveyoursay.pmhc.nsw.gov.au/community-strategic-plan
Meanwhile, a report to council in August said long-term water security planning remains important.
The council report said work continued on the Wauchope Water Treatment Plant upgrade to ensure the council could quickly respond should drought return.
Another study concluded groundwater sources are not reliable in drought situations and are unlikely to provide the volumes of water required to supplement the bulk supply or act as an emergency supply.
Another component of the water supply security project was feasibility investigations for a seawater desalination plant.
The capital costs for a 15 megalitre a day desalination plant could be between $60 million and $170 million, the report said.
More planning, investigation and design work would be needed to refine the capital and operational costs.
The report said it was likely a secure water supply could be achieved to 2050, based on current population growth and water demand predictions, without the immediate need of a desalination plant.
The council agreed to discontinue any further feasibility investigations into seawater desalination.
The report said the council continued to develop the Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy with technical analysis for a secure water supply nearing completion.
"The construction of a bulk water filtration plant at Cowarra Dam, enabling the relaxation of water quality extraction limits, will provide a secure water supply to 2050 based on current population growth and water demand predictions," the report said.
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