Cowboys partner with Council to save water
Townsville City Council has scored big-time, partnering with North Queensland Toyota Cowboys in their recent education campaign, setting their sights on the city’s long-term water conservation. Scott Drinkwater is helping to spread the water conservation message through a new TV commercial and radio campaign to help educate the community about the importance of saving the precious resource.
“It’s vital living in North Queensland’s dry tropics that we conserve water, after all it is a precious resource,” Drinkwater said. “Small changes in water habits can make a big difference. “The first step in being a water-smart champion is installing water-efficient products at home, every drop counts so make sure you’re checking for leaks in and around your home and installing water-smart products where you can.”
Townsville Mayor, Troy Thompson said Council was excited to partner with the Cowboys to spread the important message.
“Water is our most precious resource and to have Scott and the Cowboys put their hands up to help us educate the community about the role they can play in protecting our dry tropics and reef coast, is great,” Cr Thompson said. “While our dam is currently sitting at about 93 percent, living in the dry tropics means we don’t generally get much rain outside of our traditional wet season, and when we do it can be sporadic which is why it’s important that we conserve what we can. The more water our community uses, the more we need to treat, which does have financial impacts for Council and ratepayers. “Everyone in the community can be a water-smart champion by just doing a few simple things around the home. “That includes installing water smart products, checking for leaks, and building a strong lawn by watering twice a week in the dry and never in the wet. “More than 70 percent of the water Townsville residents use is put on lawns and gardens. “By taking a few simple steps we can all reduce the amount of water we use.”
Townsville residents are among some of the highest water users in Australia, using four times as much more water per person than in most major cities. The city’s high water use, alongside elevated levels of naturally occurring blue-green algae in Ross River Dam, has placed increased demand on the Douglas Water Treatment Plant to treat the water, which has a financial impact on the community. North Queensland Toyota Cowboys CEO Jeff Reibel said as proud members of the Townsville community, the Cowboys were pleased to back important causes like water conservation.
“It’s no secret Townsville offers a superb lifestyle for its amazing community,” Reibel said. “But in order to keep Townsville great we need to manage our water wisely, and that’s why as a club we’re proud to support this important educational campaign.”
For more information on water conservation, visit Council’s website.