A decrease in operating costs for water and sewerage services, a decrease in water and sewer main breaks and continued reduction in greenhouse gas emissions were the highlights for Gosford Council in the National Performance Report Urban Water Utilities from the Bureau of Meteorology, released in May.
The latest report from the Australian Government for 2013-14 again reflected the ongoing efforts of Gosford residents to remain one of the most water-efficient communities in the country. Council’s director of construction and operations, Mr Stan Antczak said Gosford residents’ commitment to water conservation has been a highlight of the report for many years, even after the removal of water restrictions. “Gosford residents only used 161 kilolitres of water on average at their properties during 2013-14, which was well below the national average of 214 kilolitres,” Mr Antczak said. “It’s also very pleasing to see that our operating costs for water and sewerage services per property decreased by seven percent, which is in stark contrast to the national average that increased by six per cent. “This is proof that our water supply and sewerage networks are operating effi ciently and the community is getting value for money for these vital services. “I’m sure residents will be pleased to hear that the annual water and sewerage bill for a typical Gosford household remains around $170 less than the national average for similar sized utilities,” he said. The National Performance Report provides an opportunity for Gosford Council to refl ect on its achievements as well as the areas needing improvement. “Another major achievement has been the 35 per cent reduction per connected property in greenhouse gas emissions since 2010-11 across our water and sewerage networks. “This includes a 14 per cent reduction in 2013-14 compared to the national average of just four per cent,” Mr Antczak added. “This reduction is thanks to initiatives we’ve delivered as part of major infrastructure improvements. “Although water main breaks per 100 kilometres of main dropped by almost fi ve per cent, there’s still work to do as part of our annual multi-million dollar water main renewal program to make improvements across the over 1,000 kilometre network of mains. “Sewer main breaks and chokes per 100 kilometres of main were also down by close to five per cent, and we want to see this drop further on the back of significant investment to boost the performance of the 1,500 kilometre sewage transfer network,” he said.
Media release, 11 June 2015 Gosford Council media