Waterwise offer launched to ease pressure on dams

• $200 waterwise irrigation rebate now available in Perth and Peel to reduce water usage and lower bills
• Last year's offers contributed to saving 286 million litres of valuable water, equivalent to 114 Olympic-sized swimming pools
• Prolonged hot summer left metropolitan dam levels significantly lower than last winter

A new spring waterwise offer to help save 155 million litres of valuable water is now available, with rainfall run-off into Perth's dams remaining significantly below average despite the wet weather.

Over winter, metropolitan dams received less than one third of the rainfall run-off than the long term (post-1975) average, leaving metro dams holding 38 billion litres (GL) less than this time last year (308GL vs. 346GL).

With more than 30 per cent of household water used to water gardens and lawns, Perth and Peel residents are being encouraged to get their reticulation in peak condition ahead of summer.

To help save valuable water and reduce bills, Water Corporation, in partnership with Irrigation Australia WA, has launched a new Waterwise Irrigation Rebate (WIR) to Perth and Peel residents, providing up to $200 off eligible waterwise irrigation products or services.

These include having an existing system serviced or improved by a waterwise irrigator or waterwise irrigation design shop to fix leaks and improve water efficiency or the purchase and set up of a weather-based irrigation controller, which uses weather data to adjust sprinklers to prevent overwatering.

Last year, Water Corporation funded around 2,000 irrigation checks and almost 1,600 rebates for weather-based irrigation controllers.

Around half of the systems inspected had a leak, while one quarter had either incorrect irrigation run times or watering times.

Collectively, these waterwise offers contributed to saving an estimated 286 million litres of valuable drinking water - equivalent to nearly 114 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The WIR is a limited offer available until 31 May 2025 or until allocation is exhausted.

To find out more, including terms and conditions, visit the Water Corporation website: watercorporation.com.au/waterwiseoffers.

Offers for regional Water Corporation customers will be announced this month, as part of the Waterwise Towns program.

The WIR supports the WA Government's Kep Katitjin-Gabi Kaadadjan (Waterwise Perth Action Plan 2) to establish leading waterwise communities for Boorloo (Perth) and Bindjareb (Peel) by 2030.

Comments attributed to Water Minister Simone McGurk:

"Climate change is having a dramatic impact on our water sources across southern WA, which left dam catchments parched after a prolonged and record-breaking hot summer.

"This meant, despite the wet winter, the dam catchments soaked up most of the rainfall rather than flowing into the dams.

"While climate-independent sources, including seawater desalination, are helping to secure our water supplies, it's still so vital to save water where possible, and this rebate is just one way people can play their part."