Frankston City Council water conservation initiatives recognised

Frankston City, located approximately 40 kilometres south of Melbourne, has been announced as the
winner of the Water Conservation Category of the Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria Sustainable Cities Awards, which were held in Docklands, Melbourne, on Friday night.

The Frankston City Council, local community groups and schools have all been active in a number of sustainability initiatives and were recognised as finalists in nine of the Awards' 12 categories.

In addition to being announced as the winner of the Water Conservation Category, it also took out the Waste Management Category.

Frankston City Council won the Water Conservation Award with its entry ‘Recycled Water Flows to Frankston City’.

In early 2000, Frankston City Council recognised the need to reduce its potable water use by extending the existing recycled water pipeline from the South Eastern Outfall. This project involved the collaboration of Frankston City Council and South East Water to create the Ballam Recycled Water Scheme.

The scheme provides recycled Class C water (treated effluent) to Ballam Park, Jubilee Park and Lloyd Park, providing greater water security to 12 sporting ovals within regional and district level reserves.

The extended pipeline is currently expected to save 47 megalitres of potable water each year, with additional savings anticipated when the system can deliver Class A recycled water in 2012 due to the upgrade of the Eastern Treatment Plant.

The total cost of the Ballam Recycled Water Scheme is almost $4.5 million, with contributions from Frankston City Council, South East Water, and state and federal governments.

The Water Conservation Category, sponsored at a state and national level by Grundfos Pumps, has been a category within the Keep Australia Beautiful Sustainable Cities Program for the past three years.

The overall winner of the Victorian Sustainable Cities Awards, Melton Shire Council, will now represent Victoria at the Australian Sustainable Cities Awards 2010.

The Australian Awards will be held at Canada Bay, New South Wales, as the City was last year's overall national winner.