• Bushland and biodiversity
• Climate change
• Community Nursery
• Education
• Environmental Sustainability and Health
• Green living
• Hornsby 2020 Initiative
• Hornsby Earthwise
• Land modification awareness program
• Parks and reserves
• Pre DA Assessment
• State of the Environment Reporting
• Sustainable action committee
• Sustainability & triple bottom line
• Waste & recycling
• Water catchments
  • Catchments remediation program
  • Estuary management
  • ICLEI Water Campaign
  • Sustainable Total Water Cycle Management Strategy
  • Water conservation initiatives
  • Water quality

Water conservation initiatives

Hornsby Shire Council has pursued its corporate commitment to reduce potable water consumption throughout theshire by undertaking water savings initiatives and was one of the first Council’s in NSW to achieve a Milestone 5 accreditation (see ICLEI Water Campaign) and a 5 star rating ( see Sydney Water’s Every Drop Counts Business Program)

Over the past few years, Council has targeted water conservation within Council buildings and has installed water saving devices such as dual flush toilets, low flow showerheads and tap aerators. These devices save approximately 35 megalitres of water each year – enough to fill 35 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Council has also installed rainwater tanks at its community nursery and at a number of local playing fields. Examples include Greenway Park, Pennant Hills Park, Somerville Oval and Roselea Park - where 220,000 litre rainwater tanks are now in use. Further stormwater harvesting and sewer mining projects are in the design or planning phase.

Partnerships with 10 local schools and educational institutions, and three local Lawn Bowling Clubs, have led to the installation of rainwater tanks. The tanks range from 2,500 to 10,000 litre capacity at the educational institutions to 240,000 litre capacity at the bowling clubs. These are used to irrigate the gardens, bowling greens, and school grounds.

At Hornsby and Epping Aquatic Centres, Council saves 40,000 litres of water each week through the innovative treatment of backwash water by reverse osmosis technology. Water is treated so it can be used in the pools again and to irrigate surrounding parkland.

Council is pleased to be working in partnership with:

 ICLEI
 Sydney Water
 Department of Environment and Climate Change
 Department of Water and Energy

With these partners we are developing water savings initiatives and sustainability programs such as:

 Community Water Grants
 Metropolitan Water Plan
 Water for Life

Many Council initiatives have been completed with assistance from State and Federal Government funding.

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