About the Project

Living Water Smart is a Power and Water Corporation initiative to help the Darwin region reduce water use.  Many people think that Darwin has an endless supply of water, but this is a myth.  We are currently using more water than can be captured and supplied in the long term.

Living Water Smart aims to help Darwin become smarter with its water use ensuring that we become a strong and resilient city with an enhanced reputation nationally and internationally.  We want to keep our water bills down whilst saving our precious resource, and to proudly claim to be a water efficient city.

It’s not about going without or sacrificing our lifestyle. It’s about the community working together to reduce the amount of water wasted and respecting this natural and limited resource.  A lot of our water use is unnecessary and can easily be reduced, saving water as well as money on bills!

Living Water Smart works with households, businesses, schools, councils and government offering easy and affordable ways to reduce water use.  Explore to find rebates, community and school programs, business water use health checks, smart technology and expert advice covering a range of topics - all to help you save water.

Leaks

Our Community Leak Check Program in 2017 saw our Leak Checkers check for signs of leaks at more than 30,000 residential water meters. We found that one in eight Darwin homes had a leak wasting an average of 500,000 litres, or $1000 per year.  Almost 6200 of these leaks have now been fixed, saving approximately 1 billion litres of water. With the majority of leaks identified now fixed, the Leak Check Program in Darwin is now complete.  Finding and fixing leaks is an ongoing job however as leaks can appear at any time!  

Gardens and Irrigation

Living Water Smart has found that most Darwin residents over-water their gardens. But for many of us, the challenge of wrangling with our irrigation system or understanding how much water each plant needs is overwhelming.  We often aren't aware of broken irrigation pipes or leaks or how to fix them. And what about those brown patches on our lawn?  

Living Water Smart is here to help. You can book a free Garden Tune Up where one of our registered irrigation suppliers will come to your home or business to tune up your irrigation, so you have the same great garden using less water.

Government and Councils

Another key focus area for Living Water Smart is working together with government and councils to ensure our public green spaces are being watered efficiently. We do this by providing information on the latest irrigation equipment and technologies, running training courses and assisting with Water Management Plans.

Schools

We haven't forgotten about our youngest residents and have a That's My Water! school curriculum unit that is a unique collaboration between Living Water Smart and Darwin primary schools. We work with school teachers and principals to help teach Grade 5 and 6 school students about the value of water and how they can help save water.  We also help schools save water and money by checking for leaks, and working with school gardeners and contractors to ensure all the gardens and ovals have the most efficient irrigation schedule.

Smart Metering

Smart metering will play an important role in reducing Darwin's water consumption and Living Water Smart is conducting a trial of 1000 smart meters on some residential and commercial properties. A smart water meter can allow residents and business owners to monitor patterns in their water so they can use water more efficiently, as well as being notified of leaks via an online web portal.

For more information contact Living Water Smart.