Power and Water has issued a timely reminder that while every drop of the monsoon rain falling over the catchment is helpful, none of us can become complacent or wasteful with our precious water.

Even with all the recent La Nina rain, currently Darwin River Dam is only at 68 per cent full.

While the Darwin community relies on safe, fresh, clean drinking water drawn from the dam every single day, for hundreds of days a year there can be zero rain going back in to top it up.

At the end of the 2020 dry season, the dam was at its lowest level since 2006, and the current rains are now only helping to play catch up.

According to Jethro Laidlaw, Manager Water Demand at Power and Water, residents and businesses across the Darwin region routinely use more water than is captured and stored.

“Looking out the window, driving through puddles and seeing rainwater collecting on roadsides it would be easy to assume that the Darwin River Dam must be getting close to full, but that’s just not the case.

“The Darwin region currently uses about 43 gigalitres (or 43 billion litres) of fresh water every year and only a small amount of this rain actually falls on the Darwin River Dam catchment,” Jethro said.

While it is Power and Water’s role to collect, store, treat and deliver the water, it belongs to the community and everyone shares the responsibility to use it wisely, and conserve it where they can.

The demand for water will increase over coming decades as the Darwin region community grows alongside the expansion and development of business and industry investment. Combine this with high evaporation, which is likely to increase with climate change, and it becomes apparent just how precious water is to everyone’s continuing prosperity.

“So while all the current rain is great and keeping temperatures down, we can’t be complacent about our water use. The dam is still a long way from full and it’s always best to be conscientious with our water use and keep the water in the dam for drier times ahead.

“Now is the time to make sure your irrigation system is turned off so you’re not wasting your water.

“Wet wet seasons are not guaranteed. We all need to value our most precious resource now to ensure a secure and reliable supply into the future.”

Visit Power and Water’s Living Water Smart initiative at www.livingwatersmart.com.au to learn how you can help the Darwin region reduce water use, and help ensure we will have enough to sustain our unique lifestyle.

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Contact: Media unit
Phone: 0401 117 599