Central Coast Council is calling on residents to be water-wise by “living to 150L” and has launched new online tools to help them do just that.

“Love water: Live to 150L” sets a target for all residents to use less than 150 litres of water per person per day. An online calculator helps residents work out their water consumption, along with providing water saving ideas and a chance for residents to win a monthly prize by submitting their own water-wise tips.

Council’s Director Water and Sewer, Jamie Loader said every Central Coast resident currently uses an average of 180 litres of water each day for activities like showering, washing clothes and dishes, cooking and cleaning. 

“Despite recent rain, our region is affected by drought and we’re asking every resident to save the equivalent of three buckets of water each day to meet the 150-litre target,” Mr Loader said. 

Mr Loader said residents can make significant water savings inside their homes.   

“The new website includes a calculator where everyone can estimate their personal water use and find simple ways to save water while doing everyday activities.   

“For instance, we use almost half of our household water in the bathroom, so making small behavioural changes like showering for less than four minutes can save thousands of litres every year.” 

The website can be found at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/lovewater. As well as providing water-saving information, it also gives residents the opportunity to submit their own tips about how they save water. Each month, one tip will win a $50 Bunnings gift voucher. 

While indoor water use is not regulated by water restrictions, permanent Water Wise Rules are currently in place to help residents save water outdoors. Restrictions will come into effect when the storage in Mangrove Creek Dam reaches 50 per cent.  

It had been predicted this would occur in mid-September. However, an increase in the amount of water available in the water supply system means Mangrove Creek Dam is likely to remain above 50 per cent for longer.  

Mr Loader said that along with last week's rain, the water supply had increased due to one of our smaller dams - Mardi Dam - coming back online. 

“We manage our water supply responsibly to ensure high quality drinking water is provided to the community, based on the best available science in water management,” Mr Loader said.  

“For this reason, we haven’t been drawing from Mardi Dam recently due to warmer than usual temperatures impacting the water quality,” Mr Loader said. 

“Thanks to the recent late-winter cold snap, water quality has improved, and we are once again able to pump, treat and supply the community with water from Mardi Dam.” 

Mayor Jane Smith urged all residents to accept the challenge of "living to 150L”. 

"As part of informing Council’s Community Strategic Plan, our community told us they want a drought-resilient Coast where water is used responsibly,” Mayor Smith said. 

“We have listened and invested considerably in expanding and strengthening our water infrastructure, so we are more drought-proof now and in the future. 

“This, together with us each being water wise now, may mean that we are able to avoid reaching the very low dam levels which saw us on stringent Level 4 water restrictions during the Millennium Drought.

“Every drop counts.”