Some water facts

Hunter Water's Integrated Water Resource Plan highlights that one of the best ways to save water (and therefore make it available for another use, like transferring it to the Central Coast) is to invest in water efficiency in the home.

About 8,000 properties in the Lower Hunter have had water efficient refit (and energy efficient refit) freeing up 240 million litres and saving people $1.4 million (as well as saving 43,220 tonnes of greenhouse gases over the product life) - now that's integration! See the report on the Refit program.

Now here's an announcement...

* All 200,000 properties in Hunter Water's area of operations will be given the refit deal, freeing up 6 billion litres of water, costing $24 million and saving $35 million for each household. Greenhouse savings of 1 million tonnes.

* All 200,000 properties in Hunter Water's area of operations will be given an interest free loan for a rainwater tank and be able to pay it off through their water bills - Hunter Water could arrange for a bulk-buying price from local manufacturers. Cost is lost interest on money, assuming 10% take-up per year (20,000 rain water tanks) cost would be about $6 million. Could free up 15 billion litres.

* Major recycling projects for parks, gardens and industry to free up 10 billion litres (current industrial use alone is 10 billion litres per year). Cost approx $50 million.

Total cost $80 million
Total water freed up 31 billion litres per year
Amount required for Central Coast 13 billion litres per year