Smart Water Fund - Round 5 funding opportunity
The Smart Water Fund is calling for applications in relation to innovative water saving, water recycling or bio-solids management projects.
Round 5 of the Smart Water Fund will be open for applications until 9 November 2007 with funding available to local government, business, community groups and individuals for their innovative sustainable water and biosolids use projects. The full information brochure is available from the Smart Water website.
Stream two funding - Victoria wide urban community and business innovations
The funding available under this stream is available to anyone including local government, business, research and development institutions, community groups and individuals across metropolitan and regional urban areas. To download an application pack please visit www.smartwater.com.au or call 1800 882 432.
Smart Water Fund regional roadshow starting soon
The Smart Water Fund will be conducting presentations throughout the major urban centres of regional Victoria in the coming weeks. Between 17 September and 2 October 2007 the Smart Water Fund in conjunction with the regional water authorities will host briefing sessions about Round 5 funding opportunities. This is an opportunity for regional Victoria to learn about how to apply for investment for innovative sustainable water and biosolid use projects. To find out when the Smart Water Fund will be in your area please call us on 1800 882 432.
Tap into the Smart Water Fund Knowledge Bank
The Smart Water Fund has supported over 120 projects across Victoria. Each project will provide unique learnings on innovative water conservation, recycling and biosolid management solutions.
Newsletters, case studies and comprehensive project information on a wide range of innovative sustainable water use projects are available from the Smart Water Fund Knowledge Bank at www.smartwater.com.au.
Some examples of projects previously funded under the Smart Water program include:
Baking Industry Association of Victoria
Auditing water usage in bakeries and developing a 'Best Practice Guide'. The Baking Industry Association of Victoria is improving water usage practices in Victorian bakeries by auditing water use and developing a water saving guide. An average bakery can waste 72,000 litres of hot water a year. In Victoria, there are over 2,000 bakeries.
City of Boroondara
Trialing 'Fytofoam' for improving the water efficiency of sports grounds. The City of Boroondara plans to save up to 11,000 kilolitres of water a year by trialing Fytofoam – which improves water and nutrient holding ability of the soil – on seven of its sand-based sporting grounds. Fytofoam is injected into the sports fields to improve both the turf quality and the water and nutrient holding capability of the ground. Trials overseas show a 30 per cent reduction in water and nutrient usage on sports grounds injected with Fytofoam.
Gisborne Junior Soccer Club
Using recycled water for irrigating its sports grounds. The Gisborne Junior Soccer Club is installing sub-surface recycled water to irrigate its Dixon Field sports ground. Using recycled water will reduce potable water consumption by up to 40 per cent and save up to 12 megalitres within three years.
Heatherdale Tennis Club
Installation of waterless tennis courts. The Heatherdale Tennis Club is installing waterless tennis courts at its club – saving 2,600 kilolitres of water a year. The Club plans to use the courts as a demonstration site for other tennis clubs, in an effort to encourage others to install waterless courts as well. Converting one third of Melbourne's tennis courts over 10 years would save over 500 million litres annually.
State Netball and Hockey Centre
Using recycled and rainwater to water hockey pitches. The State Netball and Hockey Centre’s (SNHC) project will substitute potable drinking water with rainwater and recycled water to water the hockey pitches with a projected water saving of 19 megalitres per year – a 78 per cent reduction. The project will see the installation of a water treatment plant, collecting rainwater for treatment, storage and re-use. The State Netball and Hockey Centre is contributing to the Melbourne 2006 'green' Commonwealth Games.
Victorian Golf Association
Testing saline-tolerant grasses. An enormous amount of water is used to irrigate Victoria's golf courses. The Association is evaluating the use of saline-tolerant grasses which would enable recycled or reclaimed water to be used more widely for irrigation.
Western Health
Water saving at Western Health hospitals. Western Health – which manages hospitals in the western suburbs of Melbourne – plans to save up to 12,000 kilolitres of water a year by re-using water used for steriliser pressure pumps for toilet flushing.
Tennis Victoria
Drought Proofing Tennis in Victoria Initiative Tennis Victoria is the peak governing body in Victoria for the development of tennis. Tennis Victoria is looking to take a leadership role in drought proofing tennis in Victoria through trialing of two new water conservation technologies for new and existing red porous clay (’en tout cas’) courts, that aim to significantly reduce water consumption required for maintenance and player comfort purposes. One technology will be trialed at Dendy Park Tennis Club in Brighton and the other at Port Melbourne Tennis Club.
Butler Market Gardens
The washing and cooling of vegetable produce is a water intensive process that typically uses potable water that is used in a 'once through' process. This project is specifically addressing 'soft' vegetables such as cos and speciality lettuce heads, small vegetables and herbs. This project aims to trial the washing of these vegetables using water recycling washing system that treats the product to kill bacteria, using an iodine water treatment system. The treated water can then be re-used within the same process.
Department of Education and Training
This project will see approximately 20 schools in Melbourne's western suburbs each produce a three minute film with water conservation and their local water environment project as their theme. Each of the 20 case studies aims to provide inspiration to other schools in adopting water conservation attitudes and initiatives.
Fitzroy High School
Fitzroy High School in collaboration with Swinburne University will develop an interactive educational game - based tool that will show students ( and community ) how to fully account for water consumed by our lifestyle and create greater awareness of the water cycle. The electronic based game will include a range of interactive activities that will have students undertaking problem solving activities regarding their direct and indirect water use.
City of Casey
The City of Casey is looking to investigate alternate water resources to reduce its reliance on mains potable water. This project will undertake an investigation into the feasibility of using groundwater in proposed urban developments in the Casey-Cardinia growth corridor as an alternative water supply combined with stormwater.
Ovens and Murray Football League
The project involves the development of an innovative retrofit and environmental education campaign that will showcase and promote water saving and water recycling technologies within the 10 sporting facilities that form the Ovens and Murray Football League. The project will identify and implement a range of cost effective water saving initiatives within the sporting facilities that can be replicated within sporting facilities and residential homes throughout the local region. A 'Sustainability Ladder' will be developed based on the water conservation measures of each club.
Beckley Park Water Conservation Project
Beckley park is the home of the Geelong Harness Racing Club that hosts approximately 40 race meets annually. The project involves the implementation and trialing of a variety of initiatives in order to make this popular regional facility less reliant on mains potable water, without compromising the safety surface and performance of the facilities.
For details/interview call the Editor on (03) 5798 1858