A tour of the region's largest water treatment facility combined with a koala spotting information session is just one of the unique activities on offer across the MidCoast this National Water Week (October 20-26).
Designed to appeal to people of all ages and interests, the events and activities support this year's National Water Week theme of 'Bring water into focus'.
MidCoast Council's Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Services, Rob Scott, said water had well and truly come into focus in the MidCoast in recent years as the region had continued to endure the devastating impacts of droughts, bushfires and floods.
"With lower daily water usage rates per person than the NSW average and firsthand experience dealing with a range of natural disasters, we know that people in our community understand the powerful role water can play in their lives," said Mr Scott.
"What we're hoping for this year with our National Water Week events and activities is that people will take advantage of the opportunity to expand their existing knowledge, experience something new and have fun while they're at it."
Mr Scott encouraged anyone who hadn't been to one of Council's water or sewage treatment facilities to take a free tour.
"Every year our tours attract more people and the feedback we always hear is that they're amazed to learn just how much goes into providing these services."
Council will host four tours this year, including two that incorporate a koala spotting information session at Bootawa Water Treatment Plant, which is home to one of the largest wild koala populations on the Mid North Coast. Tours will be held at:
- Nabiac Water Treatment Plant, Saturday 11 October 10am-1:30pm
- Bootawa Water Treatment Plant, Tuesday 21 and Thursday 23 October 9:30am-12:45pm
- Bulahdelah Water and Sewage Treatment Plants, Saturday 25 October 10am-2pm
Residents are also being encouraged to sign up for Water Night to be a part of Australia's biggest water awareness-raising initiative.
Each year Water Night asks all Australians to turn off their taps between 5pm-10pm on Thursday 23 October to highlight how regularly and mindlessly we reach for our taps and inspire a more conscious relationship with water.
Mr Scott said participation in the event had been growing steadily in the MidCoast, which was great because the event did an excellent job of holding a mirror up to your water use habits.
"I've been participating in Water Night for the last four years and it's a real eye-opener to realise just how frequently you reach for your taps," he said.
"What's great is that every year participation in the event has more than doubled across the MidCoast, which shows that water awareness is continuing to grow in our area."
Whizzy the Waterdrop will also be visiting libraries across the region to entertain and educate youngsters about the importance of using water sustainably.
And finally, submissions for the National Water Week Junior Writing Prize will close on Friday 3 October, with winners to be announced during National Water Week.
Mr Scott said this last initiative had been really successful, with school-aged children all over the MidCoast submitting water-themed creative writing pieces to the competition.
"Often the events and activities associated with water are just naturally science-related, so it's great to be able to broaden the appeal of our National Water Week events to include kids who are interested in creative pursuits," he said.
"We've had some great submissions, and I can't wait to announce the winners."
