Water: Local Stories
Water is life! Our bodies are, as are all living things, about 70% water. Along with the lands, the waters hold the stories of Indigenous Australians, the law, songlines and culture. It is common for cities all around the world to spend millions on mains water supply from nearby mountains and the same amount to carry stormwater away to creeks and rivers. Heavy stormwater flows cause costly erosion harm stream ecosystems. Home fruit and vegetable production uses less water than agriculture. A suburban home and garden is more resilient when using multiple water sources: mains supply, rainwater and greywater. Do we need any more reasons to treasure local water?
Video story coming soon …
Penny and Kevin’s Waterwise House and Garden
Rainwater storage: 6 tanks totalling >25 kL, first flush diverters on 3 downpipes, connected to whole house with a Grundfos pump, mains taps in the garden, kitchen and top up to one tank
Rainwater infiltration: mulch trenches and swales to capture rain in the garden, lots of organic matter in the garden to hold moisture
Greywater: simple DIY flexible pipes to mulch trenches from shower, bath, laundry
Mains water usage: 7.5L /person/day
Annabel and Roland’s Waterwise House and Garden
Rainwater storage: 2 x 10kL tanks connected to whole house, mains taps in the garden and kitchen
Rainwater infiltration: permeable driveway and paths, lots of mulch, ponds downslope in front and back gardens, basic terracing
Greywater:
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