Program lifts community housing’s water standards

Barwon Water is supporting The Lorne Village to save water and money on bills through the Community Housing Retrofit Program (CHRP).

The program is designed to assist not-for-profit, emergency, and community housing organisations in improving water efficiency for properties which are home to vulnerable community members.

It offers a comprehensive, no-cost service where a licensed plumber inspects properties, repairs leaks, and replaces inefficient water-related fittings, fixtures, and shared appliances.

The Lorne Village, an independent, 16-unit retirement village and registered charity, recently signed up to the CHRP with Barwon Water.

The Lorne Village Director Clive Goldsworthy praised the program, which is a joint-funded initiative between Barwon Water and the Victorian Government.

“The units are now 40 years old and needed plumbing upgrades, a challenging issue for a not-for-profit organisation with limited funding. Some cisterns were leaking, and you could tell some of them had been leaking for a while.

“With Barwon Water's support, a plumber completed the project in a very professional and timely manner. Cisterns were replaced, as were single flush toilets with double flush toilets and all taps in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundries, and shower heads were replaced.

“This program will not only save water and The Lorne Village money, but it also improves the general day-to-day lives of the tenants living in these properties.”

Barwon Water Managing Director Shaun Cumming said it was great to be able to support The Lorne Village through the program, which aligned with Barwon Water’s commitment to supporting customers in need and saving water.

“It’s important to us to contribute positively to the region by supporting customers, keeping bills affordable, and resolving issues fairly.

“We understand that for some, the need for assistance is greater than ever.

“The CHRP allows us to team up with property managers and tenants to help reduce their water bills by offering free inspections and upgrades.”

Available retrofit works from the CHRP include showerhead replacement; repair or replacement of single flush toilets; leak detection and repairs; and hot water service adjustments.

Barwon Water has supported 129 customers through the CHRP in the last twelve months, saving about 12.6 million litres of drinking water and $30,550 on customer bills.

This program forms part of a wider range of water efficiency initiatives, that saved a total of 201 million litres during 2023/24.

Lorne Village Director Clive Goldsworthy outside the 16-unit not-for-profit retirement village, that is now much more water efficient thanks to the Community Housing Retrofit Program.