Greater water conservation needed

Calls for greater water conservation in the Hunter region

The Total Environment Centre is calling on the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) to impose more conditions on the Hunter Water Corporation's operating licence.
IPART will consider renewing the licence this week.

The centre's urban campaigner Leith Martin says IPART should require the corporation to set strong water conservation and recycling targets for both residential and industrial users.

He says better water conservation targets could eliminate the need to build an additional dam in the Upper Hunter.

"We're calling on the tribunal to maintain strong customer and environment protection measures already enshrined in the licence," he said.

"It's important that they not be weakened or we could see a decline in standards.

"And it's also absolutely crucial that Hunter Water be set some very strong water conservation targets to ensure sustainable water supplies in the Hunter."