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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 13 Hansard (27 November) . . Page.. 4930 ..
(1) Has an audit been conducted of all ACT government buildings upon ways to reduce water consumption and if so, what steps have been taken;
(2) Do these steps include adjusting the "Flusherettes"in the toilets to adjust timing and amount of flow;
(3) Do these steps include adjusting the cooling and heating equipment to reduce water consumption;
(4) If the response is affirmative to each of the above, what is the estimated annual percentage saving of water overall;
(5) If the response is negative, why has such an audit and steps (2) and (3) not been carried out?
Mr Quinlan
: The answer to the member's question is as follows:(1) Government owned office accommodation - A specific water savings audit of government office accommodation has not been undertaken, however a range of initiatives have been identified and implemented over the years as part of the normal audit, building maintenance and upgrade programs. Initiatives include the installation of Aqualoc Tap valves, installation of dual flush systems and upgrades to heating and cooling systems.
Quotes are to be sought for consultancy services to identify options for achieving further reductions in water use in government owned office buildings. The consultancy will consider boiler systems, cooling towers and other plant room equipment as well as water utilization in kitchens and toilets. The initial audit will be on three properties, with other properties to be surveyed as part of an ongoing program.
Assembly Building
- this property is managed separately to government owned office buildings. There has been no formal audit of the Assembly Building, however there is an ongoing preventative maintenance program that includes showers, toilets etc.ACT Government Schools
- The Department of Education, Youth and Family Services (DEYFS) has recently appointed a Water Project Officer to assist in the implementation of water restrictions in all ACT Government Schools and other department buildings. To date, the Water Project Officer has visited 32 schools to recommend actions to allow schools to make water savings. The balance of ACT Government Schools will be visited by the end of the school year. In addition, the department is developing a self audit package which will further assist schools to identify and monitor water savingsDEYFS went through a major water audit in 1999, which reviewed all schools and implemented a number of water saving strategies including repairing faulty urinal flushing mechanisms, installation of water displacement devices in cisterns or lowering the water levels by adjusting floats, reducing the extent of irrigated grass at schools, rectifying pressure control valves and sprinkler heads/patterns for irrigation systems and rectifying various water leaks.
(2) Government owned office accommodation - Yes - There are a variety of systems used throughout government properties due to the age of government office accommodation. Wherever possible valves, timers and flow rates are adjusted to achieve the optimum outcome for cleanliness and water efficiency.
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