3 April 2009
MELBOURNE WATER INDUSTRY LEADS ON GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION
An independent report shows that Melbourne's water authorities have the lowest rate of carbon emissions from delivering their services of any capital city.
The National Performance Report 2007-8, compiled by the Water Services Association of Australia, compared the net greenhouse gas emissions of various water authorities.
An analysis of the data shows Melbourne’s water authorities emitted an estimated 209 net tonnes of greenhouse gases per 1,000 properties, which made it the lowest by around 13%.
Acting Managing Director of Melbourne Water, Paul Pretto, said the positive result was due to innovative approaches in producing renewable energy, including hydro electricity and electricity generated from biogas.
"Moving water and treating sewage is extremely energy intensive, which can potentially make us a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions depending on how that energy is generated," said Mr Pretto.
"Melbourne Water now generates a third of its energy needs as a by-product of the services its delivers. For instance, the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee obtains most of its energy needs from biogases generated on-site from the sewage treated there.
"We've also commissioned four out of six mini-hydro plants to harness the energy produced from moving water around the system," he added.
The report showed a 0.9% increase in Melbourne Water's net carbon emissions from 2006-07. This was largely due to additional pumping required because of lower water levels and drought but does not change its status as one of the best performing.
The National Performance Report also confirmed that Melbourne still recycles more water across all uses than any other capital city in Australia by a significant margin.
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