Water is one of our most precious resources and Ballina Shire Council is determined to track down every drop.
Water loss in Ballina Shire's water network is currently estimated to be around 10% of the total network input. Ballina Shire Council's water team has been working hard to reduce this from historic levels of around 20%, which already equates to a saving of 160 Olympic-sized swimming pools or 400 megalitres, annually.
The water team is not stopping there. To help save even more water and reduce costs, Council is once again rolling out the Active Leak Detection Project to locate and repair hidden leaks in the Council network and identify potential leaks on private properties.
Starting mid-August, contractors from AquaAnalytics will survey 350 kilometres of Ballina's water main network using specialised listening devices to check mains and fittings.
This equipment can detect leaks as small as 10 litres per hour, with no digging required. It can also help detect potential leaks on the private property side of the water meter. If contractors identify a suspected leak, residents will receive a letterbox notice with details on how to arrange repairs with a plumber.
Council's Manager Water and Wastewater, Scott Turner, said the project delivers big wins for both the environment and the community.
"When we ran this program in 2022 and 2024, we repaired more than 150 leaks in the public network and identified around 80 on private properties. If left unchecked, those private leaks alone could have added about $200,000 to our residents' annual water bills across the Shire," said Mr Turner.
"These results show the program is working, but there's still more to do and more leaks to find. By detecting and repairing leaks early, we can protect this precious resource and help residents avoid unexpected high water bills," added Mr Turner.
The Active Leak Detection Project is part of the NSW Government's $35.3 million Water Efficiency and Regional Leakage Reduction Program. To date 23,325 kilometres of water mains have been surveyed, over 3750 leaks have been found, and 7,885ML/year of water has been saved from leaks that have been repaired by regional Councils.
